Warrior's Demise
by blood4lonewolf
Summary: Short life after Sasuke's departure, Naruto leaves to train. Time flies, love ensues, miracles happen. Tragedy follows as a child grows from most hated to the most admirable.
1. The Broken Puzzle

Naruto is created and owned by Masashi Kishimoto

NOT me, well except original characters!! Enjoy!

**boldkyuubi**

_Italics flashback, past events_

"quotations"-speaking characters

The Broken Puzzle

By the time he returned, he was seen without his goal. Carried back my his teacher, he knew that he had failed. "Sensei, where's Sasuke?" A sadness is seen glimmering in Kakashi's eyes, "Rest Naruto, rest..." Kakashi was still beating himself up about not making it in time to stop his students from their greatest challenge. Naruto finally closes his eyes from the fatigue that he feels.

As the wind is gusting around them, med-nins show up. "What is Uzumaki Naruto's status?" Kakashi responds "Injured but he'll make it." "What about Uchiha? Uchiha Sasuke?" Kakashi looks up and with a sad tone "Gone...He's gone to Orochimaru." After that the med-nin escorted Kakashi back. Chouji was in critical condition due to the pills' side effects. Neji was injured the worse and they were worried that the Hyuuga prodigy wasn't going to pull through. Kiba was severely injured but his life was not in danger. Shikamaru was the least injured on the team. Lee was also lucky to return with a couple bruises. If Gaara, Temari and Kankurou hadn't shown up when they had, the leaf would've suffered casualties.

Five days later...

"Why am I here? Hello! Where am I?" Nothing can be heard in this dark room that only Naruto can be seen in. "Hello! Anyone home!" Naruto looks around frantically, this time yelling "HELLO!" Now Naruto is running until he starts to hear a sound. It starts off as light tap on metal and it starts to grow louder and louder. Then it just stops. Naruto is now looking around attentively and listening. All is quiet and still and it starts to fill Naruto's heart with dread. "HEL- WHOA!" Right before Naruto was about to finish his sentence a loud screeching was heard and a claw sweeps in front of him, almost snatching him by his jacket.

**Keep it quiet brat! I'm trying to sleep!**

Naruto is now confused and questions start to arise. "What are you doing here? Where, how, when and why?" Quiet follows and it seems that Kyuubi is now a sleep. Naruto figures that maybe now is not the time for question, so he sits on the concrete floor, trying to figure out just where he is. What Naruto did not realize was that he was in his conscious mind. That is why Kyuubi was there. The reason for this was the darkness that coated Naruto and nothing looked familiar. It seemed that Naruto's injuries were so severe that recovering took a majority of his energy. There was enough to sustain life but not enough for other functions. So Naruto did the only thing he could, he waited.

Three days later...

**Hey kid! Kid! Brat Wake up!**

Naruto suddenly shot up from his three day slumber to see himself sitting only inches away from Kyuubi's cell. "What am I doing here nine-tails? Did you bring me here?" **What are you talking about brat? Don't you remember your fight with the Uchiha kid? Your injuries were so severe that you've been in a coma now for eight days. **"Eight days! Was that you three nights ago?Why did you take a swing at me?" **You're still sore about that? You were being too loud and I thought it was hilarious. It was also a chance to get out of here. **"What!" **I'm kidding brat. Breath, don't you have a sense of humor at all? I was concentrating and it was really annoying to hear you scream**. "I thought I was alone again..." **Please don't start. Remember I was with you all those years. I am not sitting through your memories a second time.**

At that moment, the cell had begun to wave and fade out, followed by a lake in spring. _The sun was just setting and on the pier sat a child, no less than seven years of age. He could see a family off in the distance. A father and mother were watching their four year old daughter play in the grass when without warning the child fell on the turf. She was crying as she was trying to lift her tiny body off from the earth. Both parents rushed to her side and picked her up. The mother was soothing the the child from the scrap that she had on her knee. Just as quickly as she fell, she stopped crying. She held her mother with a sense of security and fell a sleep. Her father laid a kiss on his child's head. As the blonde child watched with curiosity and loneliness, he began to wonder what it felt like to have that kind of love. He loved to eat ramen but he wanted to feel that kind of love that filled the void in his life. He wanted the pain and hurt to stop. He wanted to stop hating. Hating the adults that cursed him and the ones that just watched him suffer. Why did they like to see him cry and suffer? He would not understand this._ Then the scene vanished and both Naruto and Kyuubi were left in the cell again.

**Dammit Brat! Did I not just say, I do not want to remember this stuff with you!**

"You know, for a demon, you really have issues." **And what is that suppose to mean? **"Nothing...it" **What is it? **"You just seem like you were alone too" **Shut it! **

Quiet followed for several minutes after a while they both started again. "Hey there fox. I'm sorry for asking." **It's nothing.** "I know, but at the same time, it still feels like I don't know you. Maybe, even if it is a little, even if it's not at once. I would like to know more about you" **You know something Brat? It's a deal.**

Even though Naruto is still in his coma, he has managed to befriend his inner power. What began as a one-sided relationship, true friendship is starting to occur. What has happened in these past eight days in Konoha?

When they heard of their teammates in the hospital, they could do nothing but wait. Shikamaru was waiting outside of the room that held his best friend, Chouji. He sat there wondering if his friend was going to pull through. If everyone else was going to recover. Neji was also on his mind because he has sustained severe injuries that many didn't know if they could save the genius. "Will you stand still? You're starting to get on my nerves." At that moment, Shikamaru had forgotten that the Sand Kunoichi was there with him. "This was my first mission. I did not think it would end like this" saying this was troublesome for the Chunin as he was pondering why he was explaining himself in the first place. "Didn't you receive training about this kind of thing? It happens so don't be so hard on yourself." As these words were beginning to sink in, Shikamaru was starting to walk away. "I'm going to give up this job." He states this calmly then stops when he hears a response by Temari. "So you're just going to give up on your comrades? This was not your fault so you need to hang in there. If you choose to give up, you're nothing but a sniveling coward! Walk away from your them because you're afraid they're going to get hurt!" Shikamaru continues to walk then he stops again after hearing another voice. "You know, she has a point" "Women are to troublesome, so I'm not going to argue." "There will always be a time when you have to make decisions that don't just pertain to you son. On a mission you're life is always in danger along with your teammates. The only difference is that you have a chance to be the one who takes care of them. Quit now and you're friends are still going to be on a mission but under someone else. Would you rather be with them when they get injured or let them get hurt under someone else? She is a right, you are a coward for wanting to walk away." Shikamaru now stands there, letting the words sink in. He starts to tremble as he realizes the truth. At that moment Tsunade comes out of the room. "I have good news, Chouji is now stable and out of danger. He just needs to rest now." Relief floods Shikamaru's system and at that moment his knees start to buckle. Then Shizune comes into the hallway "Hyuuga Neji's condition is now stable and Uzumaki Naruto has returned with Kakashi with severe injuries." Tsunade looks at Shikamaru. "Well it appears that the mission is a failure but everyone is still alive and that is what matters the most." Shikamaru is now on the verge of tears. "Next time, I'll execute the mission flawlessly." He thinks to himself, next time.

Sakura was with Ino at the flower shop when they had heard the news about the injured team's return. Immediately, they went to the hospital almost running over an old lady on the way, but poor Ino managed to trip over a cat. While that was happening, Sakura was still running with her back turned laughing, that is until she ran into Tenten.

Tenten was walking with Hinata when they overheard the news. Hinata was bringing some medicine that the boys may need. Right when they were turning the corner Tenten ran into Sakura. "Ow! What where you're going you clutz!" "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you...Tenten! Hinata!" Hinata tried her best not to laugh but instead she went to help both her friends up. "Sakura, watch where you're going next time. What would you have done if you knocked Hinata over?" "Umm, Tenten..." "I mean really, I think you scared the poor girl." By this time Ino joined in the conversation covered with dust. "Did you here about the guys coming back from their mission?" "Yeah, do you know if the brought Sasuke back?" With that last question, Sakura couldn't help but think about how he left. Ino, Tenten and Hinata were looking at Sakura because she was spacing out. Ino decided to get her attention. "Hey, Sakura, let's go and see how the boys are ok. Maybe Sasuke is back." "Yeah. Thanks Ino." Right then, all four girls were now on their way, well Sakura and Ino were running causing Tenten and Hinata to jog.

The girls weren't allowed to see they boys except for Shikamaru who wasn't in the mood for talking. Temari had left after hearing that everyone was all right. She went on to find Gaara and Kankurou. Tsunade had told them to go home and that they can be seen the next day. They had also learned that Sasuke wasn't coming back. Sakura couldn't help but cry. Ino tried her best to console her friend. Hinata almost fainted when she heard that Naruto was in a coma. Tenten was just mad because she wasn't allowed to see Neji or Lee. After a while, they all decided to part ways and come back the next day.

Kakashi was out for training after he heard of Naruto's condition. He decided to take this time to reflect his own weakness. He wasn't strong enough to see the signs and act on it with more strength. No, Sasuke was past wanting power, he needed power. All the while he was trying to climb the 30,000 ft cliff in under 3 hours. The pain in his left arm was past bearable but his motivation was enough to keep him going for several days. After this climb was over, he would climb again, this time with his right arm.

Day 2 and Naruto was still in his coma but he was improving. All minor wounds were already healed and the severe wounds had stopped bleeding. Hinata sat there wondering if he would ever wake up. She thought about what they had told her.

"_Naruto is now stable, we were afraid that he could've taken a turn for the worse, so now we're going to remove the machine from his lungs." Hinata couldn't take her eyes off of him, he had a tube down his throat which was put there because the moment he arrived, he had slipped into the coma. Most of his body functions were still working but his lungs were still healing. "Hinata-sama, he'll be all right." Hinata looked at the nurse and felt reassured. _

Earlier, Hinata had stopped by to check on Kiba and Akamaru. It appeared that Akamaru was injured pretty badly but was recovering just fine. Kiba on the other hand was more worried about his best friend. His injury was severe but it was not anything too serious. So he was told to rest for a few more days. He said something about "training so this won't happen again." The thought was shaken when she looked back at Naruto. He looked so innocent in his sleep. So she sat there stroking his head, asking him to never leave her. She knew that he couldn't hear her but it was a silent promise she made to herself. Hinata Hyuuga would get stronger to protect him. Then she silently cried by his side.

To Be Continued...

I hope you guys like this.

I would like to Thank DJ Rodriguez for inspiration and for letting me pick part of his brain. His story **Open Your Heart** is my favorite fanfic so you guys should check it out.


	2. Binding Ties

Binding Ties

Day Three

Neji woke up to a bird singing outside of his window. He wondered, How am I still alive? After this though, he lifted his right hand and reached for his stomach. The wound was gone but a dull pain remained there, reminding him of what happened.

_Neji had taken several hits by his opponent. He also realized that he was reaching his limit. How was he to defeat an opponent of this caliber? He was too strong but he had promised to meet up with his teammates. "What would Naruto do?" Suddenly, he could hear it coming. It started with the sound of blood rushing to his head. His heart was in his mouth as he tried to think. Then the sound grew louder. It was sharp and he could tell that it was moving as a high speed because nothing can screech that high. It was the sound of death. He stood there, with his back to the tree,thinking but nothing came. With a heavy breath, he relaxed and felt like there was no hope and let his emotions take a hold of him, past memories started to flood his mind. He never did defeat Naruto. It had hurt his pride to lose to someone who believed that hard work was the way. Along with this, he remembered what he said. "Why do you fight your fate so much" "Because you called me a drop out. So stop complaining about it because you're not a drop out." Then his father came to mind. "Neji, you are the most talented and I believe that you will overcome everything in your path. Make me proud son and live on." _

_With this Neji opened his eyes activating his Byakugan. With what chakra he had left, he concentrated a constant flow to his blind spot. "Focus, focus...There!" The sound of death was no longer heard but it was also felt before it hit. It's rotating motion and the speed were enough to bore through the tree that Neji was leaning against. From dust to blood, the genius was struck. The pain from the wound was not as bad as the impact it made on his body. He could feel the burning sensation for the arrow entering and exiting his body. It was so intense, that he didn't want to move but he remembered what he had to do. He grabbed the thread that went through his torso and released his gentle fist with enough chakra to render him helpless. It happened in seconds but Kidoumaru was suddenly in pain. It hurt to move, to blink, think and to breath. Silently, he cursed his opponent for striking him with a crippling move. Slowly, he started to fall. He managed to catch himself in his decent and decided to keep moving despite the pain. His arms and legs felt so heavy but he knew he had to catch up but while in mid swing, a figure emerged from the shadows._

_As soon as he released his gentle fist, he proceeded to cut the thread with the little chakra he had left and went to find his attacker. Running as fast as his body would allow him too, he was begging his body not to give out until his enemy was eliminated. His wound was not bleeding as much but his current movements were changing that quite rapidly. He gripped it with his left hand and continued with his Byakugan, "There you are!" He jumped and saw the surprised look on Kidoumaru's face and proceeded with his 64 hands of Hakke. All 64 strikes landed on Kidoumaru's head causing him to lose control of his chakra as well as his life support. He had two minutes at most before his brain died from starvation. Neji had collapsed after his opponents demise. It was time to rest._

As Neji remembered, he realized that he owed his survival to Naruto and his father. Neji then closed his eyes as he waited for his wounds to heal. "It won't happen again." He said cooly under his breath. As he closed his eyes, he could've sworn he saw his father's eyes.

Ino was with Shikamaru and they were both observing their friend who had a close brush with death. His injuries from the battle itself were not serious but his injuries were from the Houren Pill was internal. While they supplied the user with power, they each had severe consequences. If it had not been for the Nara's research, Chouji would've breathed his last breath after the first day. It starts off by doubling the user's current chakra level and each pill after that raises the users level at an exponential rate. The injuries and possible death was from the strain that the pills put on the body. After that, it's a slow and painful death as the user's chakra level starts to decline. Since the chakra's system is intertwined with all major organs, the decline of chakra in the body is not enough to continue body functions longer than five days. Chouji was very fortunate to be found so quickly.

Ino was thinking about all the time she told him to diet and looked at him now. He had not eaten anything in three days but he was breathing just fine now. Tsunade told them that he needed to rest because the minor damage to his organs needed a little more time to heal. He was so thin compared to before and maybe even handsome? Ino then shook here head, she realized that she felt a little warm and knew she was blushing from the though. Shikamaru however was continuing to overlook his friend, thankful that he was going to be ok after all. Later on, he thought about taking him out to eat and just gaze at the clouds with him.

Several rooms down, Lee was getting scolded by Tsunade. He had left the hospital without permission or informing anyone of his whereabouts. To make things worse, he took Tsunade's best sake with him. Overall, it seemed like he was more in trouble from taking the strong liquor as opposed to taking off while injured. Tenten was also there ready to jump on Lee's case. He had her worried when she heard of his disappearance.

_Tenten had heard about Neji leaving with a team that consisted of Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba. Neji never said anything about it so she didn't know yet that Sasuke had gone missing. After they left, it was an uneventful day. She had practiced her techniques even further. She was already a master with throwing weapons but she felt like she needed to improve on her Taijutsu. She remembered the beating that she took from the Chunin exams. It bothered her that she relied on her strongest techniques and that proved to be her downfall. The next day was the same like always, She would go to the hospital to check on her teammate but that day was different. She was the first to notice that Lee was gone. She had informed the staff and that put everyone in a panic. Never had a patient been misplaced. They spent hours looking until they concluded that he was gone. This left Tenten uneasy because she knew that he wasn't healed enough to perform to the best of his abilities. It also didn't help that Lee had mistakenly taken Tsunade's sake instead of his medicine._

She thought about this as she saw Lee take his punishment like a man. "That idiot" she softly said to no one but she smiled at the thought. He was strong enough to handle anything that came his way.

Kiba was sitting in his bed trying to think of the best possible way to train after he was release. Earlier he had been examined and was told that he could leave the next day. Hinata was still there with him. Shino still had not come back from his mission from his father but that was fine with Kiba. Kiba thought that Shino was a good teammate but sometimes, he would get irritated with the way Shino acted. He was suppose to be the cool one, the leader but to Shino, none of that mattered. With that Kiba, realized that he should try to find a way to improve his techniques with Akamaru. Earlier Hinata suggested that he should work on his defense but he squeamish about the idea. Defense wasn't really his idea of a good fight but maybe she was right. He laid his head on the pillow and told Hinata that he was going to rest for a while. Even as she left, the thought remained on his mind, "Maybe she's right."

Sakura was found in the hospital with Naruto. Sometimes she would just stare at him and wonder. Why didn't you bring him back? You made a promise! You said you would bring him back. She thought these thoughts with tears in her eyes. She hadn't slept for the past few days and it was starting to show. Ino tried her best to calm her down but it was to no avail. Even Tenten told her that it was going to be all right. It was not Naruto's fault. Hinata even suggested that they had all fought hard to bring back Sasuke. The team all had injuries that threatened to take them away from their family and friends. Sakura had finally begun to calm down. She was still shaking at the thought of Sasuke leaving. It had hurt that he didn't want to take her with him. If he wanted to go, "Why didn't you take me with you?" she said to no one. She looked back at Naruto. You did you're best. We were both too weak to save him. Next time. Next time we'll do it together. "We'll bring Sasuke back" she quietly said toward Naruto.

Day nine...

**You're still doing it too slowly!**

**No! No! No! **

**Do it again! **

**Focus Brat!! Focus!**

_Earlier, Kyuubi decided to work with the boy to teach him some useful techniques but had failed because to learn these techniques, he had to get a better grasp at the basics. His signs were sloppy and he used more chakra than necessary. As motivation, Kyuubi told Naruto, that every time he progressed in his training, he would tell him a little piece of his history._

Just then, Kyuubi called an end to it. Already five hours have pasted and he wanted to see the boy's progress. He had to admit that Naruto did have potential but that wasn't the problem. He needed the boy to learn about patience.

**OK, I want you to start with your Kage Bushin No Jutsu!**

"Hai!" Suddenly, what started out as one Naruto, there was five. This was no surprise because this was his favorite technique. The only difference from before and now was the fact that be improved himself by 10. Kyuubi was pleased with the results.

**You can drop the technique now kid.**

Naruto drops it and steps in front of the cell again, ready for what comes next.

**As agreed, I'll share one thing about me with each success you make. What would you like to know?**

Naruto stood there trying to figure out what he could ask because there were so many unknowns. Like his favorite color, he thought. Then it occurred to him.

"What is your favorite color?"

A question so simple was the perfect way to build this friendship. It even surprised Kyuubi to some extent but he didn't let it show. He was really starting to like this kid.

**It's red. My favorite color is red.**

"Wow, I never knew that!! Mine is orange!!"

**I know kid, you've been wearing it since you were a child.**

Kyuubi was a little annoyed with Naruto because it seemed like Naruto didn't have the idea that Kyuubi knows everything about him. After a short break, the training began again.

The only thing to do was move forward and Kyuubi planned to just do that.

Day Twelve...

Everyone had recovered at this time except that was still something wrong. Neji was back at the mansion receive special training from Haiashi Hyuuga. Tenten was helping Lee with his physical therapy which consisted of laps around Konoha. Chouji was training with Shikamaru, Ino and Asuma. Kiba was training with his sister for more advance techniques. Sakura was at the lake trying to reflect about the past two weeks. The only one still in the hospital was Naruto. Although his wounds had all healed, he was still in his coma. Tsunade has informed the group, that he'll be ok but people still paid him a visit. Hinata would see Naruto at least twice a day. She brought in flowers and sat there hoping that Naruto would wake up soon. She missed hearing his voice, seeing his smile and watching him try his hardest to succeed. She grabbed his hand and whispered, "Someday..." She then went toward the door and took one last glance, smiled and walked out.

To Be Continued...

How was that for a second chapter?

I'm curious if this is long enough too, should it be shorter?

Well with that out of the way, I'll try to update at least every five days. At most it might take two weeks but winter break is coming so maybe you'll get lucky and have an update everyday!

Please review!


	3. Stained Glass

Stained Glass

It had four days of continuous training and Naruto was getting better day by day. Kyuubi was watching him grow. He had gained an additional 40 control of his chakra which was better than planned. Kyuubi had planned to increase Naruto's efficiency by 30 but now he had improved by 50 which was far better than before. His signs were being perfected and his speed was increasing. Normally, this kind of training can only be done while awake. In other words, it needed to be practice with his actual hands and his body needed to adjust but Kyuubi had managed to transfer the energy from this session to his brain directly. In this manner, it was training his memory. It would take a little time to adjust completely but everything learned here would stick with him. Naruto had found out that Kyuubi likes to take a nap in the afternoon. Before, Kyuubi would go into the mountains and transform into a smaller fox to sleep in the sun. Kyuubi was older than Naruto and he wouldn't give a number but suggested it was over 300 years. Kyuubi also was "uneasy" around lightening. This came up around Naruto's questions about fears. Apparently after Sasuke's Chidori attack, Kyuubi started to pump more chakra into Naruto so he wouldn't have to feel the effects. This surprised Naruto because he also recalled that he never asked Kyuubi for any Chakra during that fight. As a treat for Naruto, Kyuubi stopped calling him brat, instead, he used every other word that is equivalent to brat but he also called him kit to tease him. It seemed like it was about time for Naruto to come out of him comma.

Hinata had been training for three days straight now. Before she had Shino helping her but now she had Lee and Tenten help with her training. Since Neji was now training with Hiashi, Lee and Tenten decided to rest. Later on, Hinata had approached then to help her train and they agreed because they both had nothing better to do any ways. Training had also kept her busy, she didn't have time to worry much about Naruto and that helped her relax but it was the thought of Naruto that kept her motivated. Suddenly from the trees came several kunai and shuriken came flying at her. She silently cursed herself for not being more alert. It was during this training that Hinata wasn't allowed to use her Byakugan which put her at a disadvantage. One, went past her head, two and three almost impaled her in the shoulder. Four, five and six were deflected with her own kunai. She listened and stood alert for the next on coming assault. There!, Hinata reflexively ducked as Lee came out with a kick. Lee then proceeded from a high kick to a low kick but missed as Hinata dodged it. Then from behind her came another shuriken attack. Hinata heard it and proceeded in the direction of the assault, while deflecting and dodging. Finally Hinata three several shuriken of her own when she had an idea where Tenten was hiding and switched to her own developing style. Her right hand was in front with an open palm and her left arm was positioned at her side with an open palm also. She was in a low stance with her right leg in front and her left leg bent slightly. From there Lee tried to get her with several punches aimed at her torso but Hinata managed to dodge each hit with such finesse that it made it look like she was dancing. After that Lee started to tire and that's when Hinata made her move. She ran at a surprised Lee and delivered two palms to his chest. With that Lee stumbles backward but didn't realize that Hinata was flying at him with a kick. The kick would've connected if Lee hadn't ducked an made a reversal. He flipped Hinata and she caught her self and got ready for the next assault. This continued for another couple of hours and Tenten and Lee knew that she was learning quickly. Her new style was still developing and she was learning how to attack without her Byakugan which gave her an advantage in the long run. During the evenings, Hinata dedicated to improving her Juken along with her nameless style.

While Hinata was training, Kiba was trying to get Shino to train with him and Akamaru but Shino had been sent on another mission with his father. So Kiba laid in the grass trying to think over what his sister had told him. _"Hey sis?" Kiba's sister looked at her little brother with some curiosity as to what he was going to say. It was either help with money or something else but usually it was money. So she wasn't expecting him to say anything but that. "During our mission, Akamaru and I both took a beating..." "And?" "...and I want to know if you can teach me some new techniques so I don't have to see Akamaru like that again." With that said, Kiba couldn't help but feel embarrassed but the reason far outweighed the shame. No one ever wants to see their best friend get maimed in front of them. It hurt to see that he couldn't protect him. His sister simply looked at him to see if he was truly ready for more advanced techniques, then she saw it. A single tear had begun to form, never in her life had her brother cried in front of her. She looked at her companion and realized how Kiba must feel. "All right, I'll teach you some new tricks but you must promise to use these as a last resort." Right then Kiba looked up and gave his sister a hug. This was something that Kiba hadn't done since he was very young. "Thanks sis." "But first before you get to that technique, I'm going to teach you a little about defense." With that Kiba looked at his sister with some confusion. The reason was simple, defense wasn't his style. After that Kiba grinned, It looks like Hinata was right after all. "Ok sis, teach me now!"_

Kiba rolled over to see Akamaru sunbathing. His sister told him to wait in the training field and there he was. Waiting, while he was waiting there, he spent his time looking at Akamaru. He was at peace and he sat there for the next 20 minutes when two figures started to come toward him.

Sakura was with Ino at the flower shop because she wanted to talk to someone and try to get Sasuke off of her mind. Naruto still wasn't awake but her mind wasn't on Naruto. "_You really are annoying," _Those were the last words that she heard from Sasuke. At that moment Ino looked at her friend. She did not know what to do. She liked Sasuke as much as Sakura but Sakura had spent more time with him. Sasuke was her teammate so there was a closer bond between them. Ino just couldn't stand the thought of either Chouji or Shikamaru leaving for their own selfish reasons. Then again, those two are always together now matter the situation. Shikamaru would never leave Konoha because it would be too "troublesome" for him. Chouji wouldn't leave either. His life was in Konoha. Ino was now thinking about Chouji, how handsome and cute he was when he was sleeping. Ino then shook the thought out of her head. What was wrong with me, she kept saying. It's Chouji! He's my teammate. Besides those two reasons, she couldn't think of any other reason to not think that maybe Chouji was attractive. He was kind, gentle and looked hot in bandages. As both Kunoichi continued to space out on their thoughts. It seemed that thinking was all they could do. They were actually waiting for Naruto to wake up so that he can tell them what Sasuke had said to him. They were hoping that Sasuke was not really gone. Maybe Sasuke told him something that they didn't know. Either way, they were going to be lost in their thoughts until Naruto woke up.

Shikamaru and Chouji were out with Asuma getting a meal. It was also a reward for Chouji working so hard to train. Shikamaru was glad to help his friend but he wanted to look at the clouds but he had promised to help Chouji. Honestly though, he wanted to improve too because he wanted to be a better leader. The thought of losing his teammates would be too much for him at this point in his life. Asuma had seen the changes in both of his students. Shikamaru was still lazy and wasn't really motivated but still it seemed like he was trying a little harder than usual. Chouji was the star though. He was improving at a rapid rate. Who would've guessed that Chouji would be gifted as a ninja, he was strong and talented but he also have a strong sense of justice. Soon they would be in the field training some more.

Neji had just started training under Hiashi because he wanted to improve himself above anything else. He didn't like being at a disadvantage. The main reason for this was the fact that he almost died, he never wanted to pass by on luck again, instead he wanted to win by his skill over luck. The memory of his father did give him courage and he wanted to honor his father's wish, to live on and to show the main family that someone from the branch can be great also. After that thought, Neji realized that he was still fighting with Hiashi. The point to this exercise was to improve Neji's agility and reaction time to improve his chances of dodging and oncoming attack. He had to have his Byakugan activated at all times to also lessen the strain of having this jutsu activated for long periods of time. Hiashi's attacks were fast but that wasn't the problem. Neji knew that this type of training also had another point.

_Hiashi was telling Neji that even though the Hyuuga branch was the most elite in Konoha, there was still one clan that had managed to give them a run for their money, that clan was the Uchiha clan. Every year, both the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans would have a tournament in the time of peace to keep their fighting abilities top notch and for entertainment. It wasn't official but if both sides were to actually fight with everything they had, the Uchiha had a slight advantage in skill. The Byakugan had some advantages over the Sharingan. Both ocular techniques did put strain on the users eyes but the Sharingan was not only able to see through illusions but it also gave the user an edge in battle. Depending on how many dots their Sharingan, they were able to see what their opponents were going to do next by several fractions of a second. It was only by several fractions but it was enough. There was especially one child who proved that the Uchiha's were able to beat the Hyuugas in a match. No matter how experienced the opponent, he would always find a way to immobilize him or her. He had even managed to dodge the 64 Hands of Hakke. It was an amazing feat because in order to do that, the person had to increase his speed while watching for the next several hits. It started, off, two, four, sixteen, thirty-two and finally sixty four but each time, against him, the technique was only hitting air. It was only his first year and he had evaded all attacks on him. Uchiha Itachi was someone to be feared. The moment he moved was the moment you lost. When it came to the matches of Hyuuga versus Hyuuga or Uchiha versus Uchiha, Itachi showed no mercy. It had seemed that he was bored in the later matches because no matter the level of his opponent, he overcame them with such grace and finesse, you didn't even see most of his attacks. The idea of having the Byakugan activated for a longer period of time may increase the chances of fighting a higher level opponent but defense was another issue that was neglected through out the years. The Kaiten proved to be useful but it used chakra to commence. Improving one's flexibility and reaction time would increase your speed but it would also help in the long run because just dodging is classified as a Taijutsu, so it didn't require any chakra. _

Neji had heard from Hiashi that this training would be taught to him in ten stages and they would increase the training time and intensity every week in order to climb the steps effectively. Focus, focus, Neji closed his eyes for second and smiled on the inside.

Kakashi had finished his latest training method that proved to be more difficult than he ever imagined. He got the idea from the tree climbing exercise which was used for chakra control. With that thought, he wondered if he could fine tune that control just a little more. Walking on water was the next step but there didn't seem to be another step to take the training to the next level. As he was resting by the river, it struck him. Maybe it was impossible to begin with but no one had ever attempted such a feat. From there Kakashi went to the nearest waterfall. This exercise would combine both exercises and surly would kill him if he weren't careful. One miscalculation would cause him to fall into the water and eventually into the rocks on the riverbed. So Kakashi took a deep breath and decided that a running start would help. One minute he was standing there hoping it worked and the next, he was running.

Sasuke had begun his training under Orochimaru. At first, there was questions from Kabuto because he obviously didn't trust the young Uchiha but that soon changed when Sasuke would only demand that he start his training. The reason for this would be the fact that Sasuke felt like he was weak. It had taken almost all of his energy and chakra to defeat Naruto even with his level two seal activated. He wanted to be strong enough to stop relying on the seal, strong enough to kill his brother. He had grown arrogant in a sense that he knew that Orochimaru wouldn't kill him right away because he needed his new container. At first it only bothered Kabuto but Orochimaru wasn't fazed by this at all. He was actually excited about this because if his future container were to get stronger, by the time he got it, Sasuke would be the ultimate tool. To keep fueling Sasuke's hate, he would promise him that he would help him defeat Itachi but he had no real intention of doing this. He knew that he stood no chance against the older Uchiha. It was possible that Itachi's power rivaled that of the three Sannin put together. The only thing that stuck out the most from Sasuke was the strong desire to train and gain power. The only reason to live was to avenge his family and get back what he lost. He loved his brother but he also hated him. _Itachi would always talk to Sasuke as a child. The two brothers would bond but as Itachi started to grow, he began to change. Sasuke noticed this from the start but his parents would always say that he was under a lot of stress. Before, Itachi would teach his younger brother the basics of most techniques but lately, he had started to grow distant. He remembered on thing though. "We're unique as brothers, for you to overcome your barriers, we need to continue to live together. Even if it means hating each other." "Even if...hating each other." _

Sasuke was thinking of this as he preceded in his training day after day. It was as he said to Naruto. _"My hopes are in the past, there is nothing for me in the future." _Sasuke was getting a knack in his training, since Orochimaru was his opponent, Sasuke was starting to become more brutal after each exercise. Despite of the beating her took during the first encounter, it had seemed that Naruto pushed Sasuke enough, that Sasuke was starting to catch up to Orochimaru's level of power. So deep down, Sasuke still held the bonds he had cut. He wasn't consciously aware of it at first but the bond between Naruto and Sakura were still there. As soon as Sasuke evaded the oncoming attacks, he went in for the finishing strike. With his Sharingan activated, he struck Orochimaru with his kunai in his heart, liver and throat. With that done, the Bushin disappeared. Training had come to an end.

To Be Continued...

Ok, this is the third chapter and I can't say much. I actually hit a point where I didn't know where to go but now it's cool.

Its not as long as I hope it would be but the next one maybe.

Remember Review!! Tell me you're thoughts, maybe I could make it more interesting that way too.

Maybe tell me any preferred coupling, I have an idea what I want but maybe you'll think of some combos I might just like or find interesting!!


	4. Waking Past

Waking Past

The news had spread quickly. It had been a month since the rescue team made it back. Kakashi had yet to return from his training.

He looked at the waterfall with determination. He had succeeded in making it up only half way. For two weeks, he had continued

with this exercise. After the first few days, he could make it up but for the remainder of the two weeks, he tried it with his Sharingan

activated. Kakashi, who wasn't of the Uchiha clan still had some problems with his Sharingan. It had been a gift but it was a gift that

could also kill him. The strain it put on him was enough to leave him drained for a day if he wasn't careful. The strain came from

that fact. He didn't possess an Uchiha body and stamina so it was that much harder on him. Yet in twelve days, he had managed to

reach the halfway point of the waterfall with the Sharingan activated. If only he had enough time but Asuma was on his way to

inform his comrade that Naruto had just awaken that very day.

Sakura had just begun to recover from the shock of losing Sasuke. She couldn't believe that it had that much of an effect on her. She

missed everything about him. The way he would smirk when Naruto would challenge him, the way he walked without a care in the

world, the way he would stare off into the horizon as if he were making a pact to the crimson sky, the way he smelled when she

grabbed him during the Chunin exam, the way he had told her "Thank you." It was something that stayed in her memory. No matter

what she did, those two words would stick with her forever. She had taken enough days moping around the village and had spent

the past week training. She wanted to follow Sasuke. She wanted power but not for the same reasons. Sometimes, she would cry but

she was past the point of crying with no reason. This time, she would go with the rescue team. The next attempt to bring their

comrade, friend, family, the love of her life, the next time, she would be ready to go. Training alone had not been what she had in

mind but it was the only way to get her out of her house. It was the only way to stop her tears in the middle of the night. It was the

only way she could convince herself that he was going to come home because she wanted him back. Ino had helped Sakura with her

problem, if it hadn't been for Ino, Sakura would've still been in her bed. "I would've been crying all that time." She quietly said to

herself thinking of their conversation.

"_Who is there to blame but myself? Who else is there to blame? If I had only stopped him...If only I hadn't been so weak...He could've been here with me!" "Listen to yourself Sakura, listen to what you're implying! He left on his own, you did what you could. So stop blaming yourself. It's not going to get you anywhere but down." "You just don't understand Ino! You don't understand at all!" With that Ino had slapped Sakura across the face. Sakura didn't see it coming so she grabbed her right cheek and looked at Ino in shock but with sorrowful eyes. "You're thinking of yourself only. The Sakura I knew was never so selfish that she would say something so low. You think you're the only one unaffected? Look at Naruto, he's still in the hospital and he may never wake up! Imagine what must be running through his head. He tried his best to bring Sasuke back not only for himself but for you too. You're right, I may never know what it is that you're suffering from. Heartbreak that you lost a friend? I can only imagine what you are feeling. I know that if Chouji or Shikamaru ever ran away, got killed or even disappeared, I would be devastated, but you have taken it to a new level Sakura!" With that Sakura couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "I don't know what to do anymore Ino. I just don't know." With that Ino grabbed Sakura and looked her straight in her eyes. "You get stronger here and here." With that said, Ino was pointing to her heart and her head." Sakura looked at her friend and held her in an embrace between best friends. "Thank you Ino."_

Sakura was looking at the Taijutsu dummy with weary. If you are strong in mind but weak in body. If earthly qualities are what you

lack, train your body in the fields and prepare to attack. This is what Sakura wanted. She was smart but it was her lack of strength

that had failed. It was her own weakness that caused her world to fall. It was time to repent for her mistakes. Sakura then charged at

the dummy.

Tenten was walking with Lee as they were leaving the hospital. Tenten was still wondering if leaving Hinata there was such a good idea. _"No, I won't do it!" "Come on Hinata, it's for training, it could help you when you need it most." "How will looking at an unconscious person help my training?" With this said, Tenten couldn't think of a good reason but Lee had decided to speak up. "Hinata-sama! It will help you know if an enemy is around while they're a sleep!" Hinata's initial reaction was to strike Lee until he told her more. "When an enemy is knocked out or a sleep, their chakra system is usually low with activity so it makes them that much harder to see." Tenten was impressed with Lee's statement, although, he wasn't the one trying to hook the two up. Tenten hadn't known either Naruto or Hinata for very long but it seemed very obvious that Hinata liked Naruto a lot. At the same time, she couldn't get a reading from Naruto. It had seemed like Naruto cared about her a lot. Who would be crazy enough to vow revenge for Hinata's pain and with her own blood? It was a crazy idea but maybe, just maybe there was hope in these two. Lee had just finished his long speech which left Hinata looking at the ground. She had wished that there was someone else to see. _

So she sat there curious how she was to do this. Tenten had said that you just had to concentrate and look over the system. As she

did this, she had unconsciously left her hand on top of Naruto's hand. She activated her Byakugan and started from his head down.

The idea had occurred to her that she was checking out Naruto so she couldn't help but blush at the though but pushing all that

aside, she decided to continue her training. Tenten and Lee were right, his chakra system was working at the bare minimum so she

could see every detail. Every tenketsu was very visible, especially Naruto's. His tenketsu seemed to be a little larger than normal but

they were no different from what she had learned. Even though she knew every point on the body, she still didn't have a grasp of

the fundamentals but being able to look at Naruto's tenketsu, gave her first hand experience. She took note of everything she saw

and then her mind started to drift. Soon without realizing it, her Byakugan was deactivated and she was looking over his body. He

looked so peaceful as she went from his face to his chest. She was thinking about how much she would miss him if anything were

every to happen to him. She didn't realize that she was squeezing his hand, it was then that she felt her left hand being squeezed

back.

Sasuke had been with Orochimaru and began to pick up some habits. He always slept with one eye open because he still didn't trust

Kabuto and Orochimaru. Sasuke was also in the habit of just sleeping and training. Every once in a great while when he wasn't

training, he would look at the night sky and let himself relax. He did this at least once every two weeks but only after he set up

various traps so he wouldn't be vulnerable to any sort of attacks that might be released on him. He would look up and let his mind

wander. It seemed like this was the only way he could keep his mind sane. He had to get away from the constant slaughter of ninja

that Orochimaru had put against him and even fighting with a clone of Orochimaru. Recently, he sent two clones after Sasuke as a

training exercise. It was tough battle even though each clone has only 10 of the user's original strength. At times, Orochimaru would

keep Sasuke training well over three days without food or water. It was tough but Sasuke was starting to see the results. His body

screamed with pain but it was only a small price to pay. As he laid there looking up, his mind started to wander some more. He

always thought he was alone. He was alone. Naruto was the only other person left alone but he had nothing to start with. After a

few moments he began to wonder why he was thinking about Naruto, as far as he was concerned, Naruto was in the past. He hadn't

killed him because he didn't want to give Itachi the satisfaction of him killing his best friend for power. He wanted to gain the power

to defeat him in his own way. As his gaze started to wander across the sky, he started to think again. No one had truly tried to love

him. He was popular in school but he never cared for the crowd. He never cared that he had a fan club to begin with too. All the

girls liked him because he was the top of the class and handsome. Yet not one of them tried to understand him. Then Sakura came to

his mind.

_Sasuke had made up his mind. He was going to Orochimaru to gain ultimate power. He wasn't going to stay here in the village because he had lost sight of his goal. He wanted his life back but before that could be done, he needed to kill his brother. As he was walking toward the entrance, he saw someone waiting in front of him. As he came close to the figure, he could see that it was Sakura. She was so frail but she had a look in her eyes that screamed at him to stay. "Why won't you talk to me? Why won't you say anything to me?" Sakura had said after Sasuke continued to walk past him. "Why should I tell you anything at all?" Sasuke had said coldly. With this Sakura was already crying. "You've always hated me." With this Sasuke stopped walking and listened. He listened without looking to face her. He found it difficult to look into her eyes, especially when there was a full moon out. "Don't you remember? This is where we first met when we started as a team." (flashback) ("Being scolded by your parents doesn't compare to being alone. The solitude is far worse." "What are you saying?" "You're annoying" With that Sasuke left a young Sakura wonder about what she said wrong.) (end flashback) Sakura said this with a faint smile. "I don't remember that." Sasuke said shortly after. He remembered but he didn't feel like talking about it. It had been enough to make his blood boil that day. He was alone too so it hurt so much more. "I guess it was pretty far back...but when I remember all the missions we went on, it was fun. No matter how difficult it was, it was always fun to know that I had a family outside of family. You, me, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. Thanks to you, I have learned about solitude." Sakura was trying to keep herself from sobbing because these words were the hardest for her to say. She didn't want Sasuke to leave. She didn't ever want him to leave, like Naruto, she wanted him to acknowledge her existence. Sasuke was still standing there listening, he was holding out fairly well but her speech was enough to make his eyes water. He didn't want to leave but he had to. "There is nothing left for me here. I walk a different route than you and Naruto. I need to avenge my family even if it means good bye." "Do you really want to be alone again? I know I will because without you, I will be. I'll be like you and I know that it hurts because it feels like my heart is going to explode. I can't survive without you! I love you Sasuke! I really love you and I want to be with you. I won't let you regret a day if you stay with me! We'll have fun everyday and we'll be happy. I swear, we'll be happy." Sakura was crying freely but she was still trying to keep her voice from breaking as she finished. "I'll even help you with your revenge. If you won't stay...take me with you!" With that said, Sasuke slowly turned. He felt like his heart was being pulled, the pain was different from what he ever felt before. Maybe because she had grown on him. She was already family but he knew that she had to stay. She would be happy here, he kept saying to himself. She'll be happy here. With a smirk, he said, "You really are annoying." As he was looking at Sakura, he noticed that her eyes shone more beautifully than they ever did before but he also was the pain in her eyes. With that Sasuke turned to walk away hoping that that was enough to stop her. "Don't leave Sasuke! If you do, then I'll scream!" With that said, Sasuke appeared behind her. She didn't even see him move. "Thank you, Sakura." Sakura relaxed and felt her body go numb. He mind started to fade out, her last thought was... Sasuke. _

Sasuke sat up and remembered the smell of her hair. He remembered the warmth her body gave him as he placed her on the bench.

He remembered how soft her skin was as he kissed her on the forehead. Sasuke's heart was racing at the though as he remembered.

It also felt as though, his heart was going to explode. After a while, Sasuke got his nerve back and stood up. He was going to bed.

He wanted to rest and dream. He wanted to dream of her again.

Neji had gotten the hang of dodging Hiashi's attacks. His speed and insight had increased significantly. Neji had been told that the

techniques he was to learn were so advanced that he needed to get permission from the head family. At that moment, Hiashi was

speaking with the elders and had left Neji with a day off. Neji had decided to lay down in the training area trying to go over the

training he had gone through. He needed to analyze everything in order to get a good grasp but no matter how many times he tried,

he was still worried. He had wished that he had Tenten there to help him with his training. She was strong and intelligent, she was

also able to keep up with him. Whenever he had trouble with a technique, she would help him think of it in another light. At that

moment, he was wondering why he was thinking about Tenten now? He missed seeing her? Or was it something else? Why wasn't

he thinking about Lee? Then suddenly Neji was hit and soaking wet.

While Neji was spacing out, Tenten had decided to pay her teammate a visit. She then saw him in the distance and decided to

surprise him. She pulled out an orange scroll and released several water balloons. Normally she carried it to wake Lee up or to

practice her aim on unsuspecting animals. She knew that there was no way Neji would let a water balloon hit him, so she took aim

and threw several at the unsuspecting boy. Tenten was smiling because she wanted to see if she could force him into showing her

some of his new moves but that wasn't the case this time. Normally Neji would release his Kaiten or simply dodge it but all the

balloons landed a hit.Tenten was shocked but was overcome with laughter as she saw Neji scramble to his feet. He looked like a wet

dog and the fact that some of his hair was covering his face didn't help the situation. "What do you think you're doing Tenten!"

With that said Tenten was still trying to stop herself from laughing too much. "I thought I'd drop by and visit you. I thought you

were training but it looks like it's not paying off." With that said Neji gave Tenten a look between irritated and amusement. "Well I

was resting like I was told but you just had to break my concentration." "You have to concentrate to rest?" Once again Tenten was

laughing. Neji looked like he was mad but on the inside, he was smiling. Her smile is something that made his day. After Neji had

dried his dried his clothes, both Genin laid in the grass looking at the dusk sky.

Shikamaru was on a mission with his father so Ino was in the flower shop spacing out on the lilies. It reminded her of that lazy guy.

The lily would always look like it's sleeping but at the same time, it was the way it looked that made it more attractive. Shikamaru

was in a way like that. He didn't shine when he was working but he shone the most when he laid down and looked up at the sky.

Then it occurred to Ino what she was thinking. She was thinking of Shikamaru in a different way. Yet there was nothing else to do.

First she finds Chouji attractive and now she was thinking about Shikamaru. What was wrong with her? She knew she was acting

weird but she had started to grow closer to both of them. So Ino continued to look at the lily and thought about her feelings toward

her teammates.

Amazing, it was amazing. In 30 day's Naruto had managed to increase his chakra control by 95. Utterly amazing and now Kyuubi

was going to let him return to his world so no one would worry about him, like that Hyuuga girl. Ever since Naruto was training,

Kyuubi kept a look out on the outside world. He couldn't see but he could use his other senses. He could hear people and learned to

distinguish who was who and he even knew who a person was by their scent now. The thought also occurred to him too. Should he

tell Naruto about the girl or should he let him figure it out on his own? "Hey! Hey!" **What is it kit? **"When are you going to teach

me some useful techniques?" **I'll teach you when you wake up. **"What? Why not now?" **That type of training isn't possible for**

** you yet, that's why. So for now, you need to work with your physical body to train with techniques. **"What?" **You can't now**

** but you can later! **"Oh, ok!" With this said, Kyuubi was annoyed with him that he decided to play a trick to mess with Naruto and

to maybe speed things up. Kyuubi decided to gain the little control he could from Naruto's body and he was listening waiting for the

right moment. There! He caused Naruto's hand to squeeze and from there, he forced Naruto to wake up without letting Naruto

know what was about to happen.

One minute, Naruto was asking Kyuubi about his training and then there was a blinding light. He opened his eyes to see that he was

in a room. His body felt like it was well rested and he was curious where Kyuubi was and why he was awake? How long had he

been a sleep? Was there another attempt to bring Sasuke back? What was one hand warmer on one side? He looked to his left and

saw an unconscious Hinata. Naruto did his best to wake Hinata up and when she did, she realized that Naruto was still holding her

hand. Naruto was still unaware of this only to see Hinata faint again.

Naruto had awakened and all of Konoha later found out.

To Be Continued...

Well it's a little longer, maybe not by much but it didn't take much time. It also helped that I was on caffeine too! I'll try to get chapter 5 out as soon as I can. It finals so I don't know if I can get it out fast enough to please be patient! Enjoy and review!!


	5. Our Reflection

Our Reflection

Tsunade had spent the majority of the day checking over Naruto. It was surprising that he woke up the way he did with no lasting

physical wounds. He didn't need to go through physical therapy because it seemed like he never was in a coma. The healing powers

of the nine tails was very strong. She had spent three hours wondering why he had healed so faster, even with the powers from

Kyuubi. It didn't make any sense but one thing did amaze her. She had first heard that Naruto was up by a panicked nurse. The news

had made her heart leap for joy but the part that still made her laugh was the fact that Naruto was still holding on to Hinata. It had

taken some time for Naruto to realize that he was holding her hand. It was also odd because despite the miraculous recover, his left

hand had refused to let her go. She did feel sorry for Hinata though, because the whole time she was there, it was spent trying to get

out of Naruto's grip. It had seemed to be an inconvenience but Tsunade had sensed that she was enjoying the whole experience.

Tsunade couldn't help but smile after that though. "So he finally is starting to attract the young ladies." She breathed quietly under her

breath. It seemed so long ago but she had Naruto give his side of the story to her. There was a change that made her feel uneasy.

Sasuke Uchiha now had a mature Sharingan and he had spared Naruto's life. That was one thing that she was thankful for. All that

was left was the fate that Naruto would have to cover from here on out. Akatsuki was looking for Naruto but from her sources, she

had heard that the hunt for him wouldn't continue for quite some time. What would she do with Naruto since now was the time for

training. Serious training because Naruto wanted to bring Sasuke back but in order to bring Sasuke back, he needed to kill

Orochimaru. Akatsuki was going to be on the hunt for him too, so he needed enough power to defend himself from an assault. These

thoughts filled her head as she was waiting for her former teammate to arrive.

Hinata was staring up at her ceiling thinking about how the day had started. She also couldn't believe how it was all coming to an end

so soon. For her she had wished that the moment wouldn't end but what she could've done without was the attention of so many

people.. She was alone with her life long crush checking his chakra network out and she was enjoying the time alone. She enjoyed

seeing him everyday but she was sad that she couldn't talk to him. Sure, she had tried but her words never did reach him. He didn't

respond to her words or the way she stroked his soft golden hair. She began to blush at the thought. She was also hoping that she

wasn't a pervert for touching him like that. It didn't help that she was basically checking him out. She was embarrassed but she did

admit that she did enjoy what she saw.

She had been thinking about this for a while. Was this the real thing? Was she ready to admit to him that she did more than just admire

him? She was surprised to hear from Kiba that he swore to beat Neji in her name. In her honor, he had promised revenge and to seal

that contract, he reached down into her blood and swore. It was a promise that he had kept. She felt embarrassed for being the one

who needed the support. She wanted to repay his kindness toward her. It was frustrating enough that she couldn't tell him everything

but what made the situation worse was the fact that he didn't see how much she cared for him. She constantly looked back this past

month. The first word she got was that the mission to retrieve Sasuke was a failure. No, it didn't hit her full force until she had heard

that Naruto was in severe condition. His wounds were not as bad as Neji's but they were still wounds to be of some concern. Even

though he was stable, he had slipped into that coma. It frightened her. It scared her so much that she went to him everyday. She would

stay with him throughout the day. One night she even managed to sneak into his room using chakra to walk up the hospital's walls. It

was a night to remember. From that night on, she had mixed emotions but one thing was clear. Accident or not, she genuinely cared

for him and she was willing to do anything for him. _Hinata had managed to sneak out of her room undetected but that was about to_

_ change when she got outside. Hinata was walking along the walls trying to stay in the shadows so she wouldn't be detected by_

_ anyone. She knew that she was being a little over cautious but it was better to be safe than sorry. That was until she ran into what_

_ seemed to be another wall. She hit it with such force that she noticed that there was another person there. "What the? Hinata-sama?"_

_ Hinata's heart stopped for what seemed to be an eternity. She had been caught. Crap crap crap! Hinata's thoughts continued to rush_

_ as she tried to find a valid excuse, that is until the figure that she knocked down spoke. "Hinata, what are you doing out so late? You_

_ messed up my exercise" It was then that Hinata knew who it was. It was her cousin Neji. Even though he was trying to be quiet also,_

_ he still sounded a little pissed. It was then that Hinata realized that she was still holding her breath. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I was_

_ going to get some water." Then there was another thing that Hinata noticed. "Why are you out here Neji?" Now it was Neji's turn to_

_ be on the spotlight. "Nothing. I was concentrating on an effective way to train." With that he felt that his argument was believable. It_

_ was then that another figure was coming into the estate grounds. "Neji. Neji. Neji!" The voice kept whispering but both Hinata and_

_ Neji could hear the voice. Hinata then smiled, "Hey Neji, if you won't tell anyone I left, then I won't tell that you have a friend over_

_ for the night." "What are you talking about? She's here to help me train." With that Neji quickly realized that he walked into_

_ Hinata's little trap. "So she is a she. I was curious, what everyone would think if they knew you had a girl over for the night." "It is_

_ not for the night!" "As true as that may be brother, I could make it seem like you did." With those words Neji had no choice. He was_

_ actually surprised that Hinata had stood up to him even though it was a verbal threat. It was a good thing at the very least, that she_

_ didn't know who it was. Before Neji could say something, Hinata ran off while saying hi to the person just to make sure that she knew_

_ who it was._

_Hinata was now in front of the hospital. It had only been 5 hours since she was last here and she was pretty sure that the staff_

_ wouldn't let her see Naruto this time of night. So she stood there trying to weigh out her options. Either try to sneak in and spend_

_ some time with him or go home. If she got caught, then she would have to deal with the consequence of having her father question_

_ her reason for sneaking into the hospital in the middle of the night. Then again, she could go home and lay in her bed and wonder_

_ why she didn't take a chance. With that, Hinata knew what she had to do. She went to the back of the hospital and looked up to count_

_ her steps to make sure she didn't make any mistakes about which room was his. One mistake and that would mean, she would be_

_ spending some quality time with her father. With a sigh, she started up the side of the building. As she was approaching the room, she_

_ noticed that there was a guard on duty who was about to see her. So in a hurry she ran up and jumped into the room. She hoped that_

_ she had not been seen. Moments later, there was a spotlight going over the building. Hinata held her breath and waited with her eyes_

_ closed. She was waiting for something to happen. A few minutes passed before she opened her eyes. She then scanned the outside_

_ area with her Byakugan but saw nothing to tell of her actions. It was then that she also realized that she was on top of Naruto. She_

_ was laying directly on top of him with her face only inches from his. She thought about it but she couldn't find the strength to move_

_from her spot. His face was so calm, so she did it. She kissed him lightly on the lips. It was only a few seconds before she realized_

_ what she was doing. Quickly she got off of him and tried to pull herself together. "Did I just do what I think did?" She said quietly to_

_ herself. Then she looked at Naruto who was still lying there. It seemed that he was ok so she decided to sit there by his side hoping for_

_ him to wake up. She knew that she would not tell anyone of this. She started to blush at the thought and smiled._

It was decided by then that she would tell him how she felt. She would tell him tomorrow. She could've gone to his house now but

she wanted to think about it some more. How was she to word this without fainting? How can she tell him that she had kissed him

while he was still a sleep? Should she tell him? These thoughts continued to rush through her head as she laid there in her bed. Then

she looked out the window curious if heaven were playing a prank on her. She just laid there thinking.

It happened so fast. He couldn't help it but it happened any ways. Chouji was walking with Shikamaru who was donned with bruises.

Ino was only trying to be nice to him but that couldn't stop what Sakura did to him.

_Shikamaru was with Chouji looking up at the clouds. Although at this point Chouji was going through his third bag of chips. It was_

_ the start of an ideal day for Shikamaru because there had been no missions recently because of the chaos that was going on. As a_

_ whole, the village was still trying to recover from the assault by the Sound but the main reason Shikamaru and Chouji were laying_

_ down was the fact that they had to recover from their wounds. Even though Shikamaru was more than capable to be out on a_

_ mission, he said that he needed to care for his teammate. With a sigh Shikamaru was as relaxed as he ever was going to be for the_

_ entire day. At that moment, Ino and Sakura were coming toward the boys. Chouji started to wave to his teammate and the girls_

_ decided to join the two cloud gazers. "Hey Chouji! How are you doing?" Ino had asked with some cheer mixed in her speech. "I'm_

_ doing great now Ino!" Chouji had said with a mouthful of chips in his mouth. Sakura had then decided to sit down to see several_

_ white clouds in the sky. Her thoughts started to drift toward Sasuke. It was an uneventful day Kakashi was talking with the Fifth. At_

_ that moment Shikamaru had gotten up to talk to Ino but tripped on Chouji's empty bags. Ino was now looking at her teammate in a_

_ very awkward situation but she couldn't help but to laugh. Chouji was still eating and didn't realize what happened until he heard_

_ Shikamaru._

_Sakura had been looking up thinking about Sasuke but suddenly she was knocked out of her trance. The only thing that she felt was_

_ pain as a heavy figure laid on top of her and to make matters worse, he was trying to scrabble to get up. The only words that could be_

_ heard was several words of apology but that didn't stop Sakura from chasing him down. Ino was still laughing but she was trying to_

_ calm Sakura down. It wasn't just the fact that Shikamaru had fallen on top of Sakura that had her on a rampage but the main reason_

_ was where Shikamaru's face had landed. Shikamaru was embarrassed by what happened as he tried to run from a very disturbed_

_ Sakura. He had landed on her chest and kept apologizing as he ran for his life._

Ino was still heard laughing off in the distance. It annoyed Shikamaru as he kept muttering "Troublesome" to himself. Chouji was just

glad that Shikamaru managed to get away with only a few bruises.

Naruto had just heard the news from the Fifth. He was to leave the village and train with Jiraiya. Right now wasn't the best time for

Naruto. He had slipped into a somewhat depressed state after losing Sasuke but he also understood that he needed to become a little

stronger to get him back for good. "Hey. Hey Kyuubi." **"What do you want now?"** "Will I be able to learn more from you while

we're away on this mission?" **"Sure thing but I need to make sure that you understand the basics." **"Why not just teach me the

cool stuff? The basics are boring!" For a moment Kyuubi remained quiet before answering. **"Because, if you don't know how to**

** control your chakra, these techniques could kill you." **With those words, Naruto started to understand that he needed to work

twice as hard. He wanted to save Sasuke and be alive when it happened. He wanted to come back and be Hokage but that would

have to be on hold for a while. "Thanks" he said to Kyuubi who didn't answer. From there, Naruto was already packed for his

training. No one had told him how long he would be gone but it was somewhere between a year and three. He laid there wondering if

he would be missed. Iruka had already said his farewell and Kakashi had given him a book on the basics of chakra control, although,

he had to ask his sensei how he could amplify his training. Sakura was still depressed about Sasuke but gave him a hug. It was

unexpected but he couldn't forget her one request.

_Naruto was standing there telling Sakura that Tsunade was sending him on a_

_ mission for a year to three. In that time he would train with Jiraiya to get strong so he could bring Sasuke back before Orochimaru_

_ complete his jutsu. Sakura walked up to Naruto and that's when she gave him a hug. It was unexpected for Naruto but her words_

_ stuck in his head. "When you get back. Let's both bring him back and good luck." She said this with tears in her eyes as they both_

_ made a silent promise to bring their teammate back. _

"So I'm leaving tomorrow." He said quietly to himself. Then he closed his eyes and drifted off in his sleep.

Tenten was walking back to her house when she was remembering the events that unfolded today. _She was at the training ground_

_ trying to find a new way to throw her weapons. The guys have been working harder since they returned from their mission to bring_

_ back Sasuke and it was starting to spread to her too. In the Chunin exam, all her attacks were canceled out by wind, no doubt that it_

_ could be done with sound too. She had been improvising different ways since the day started and nothing seemed to be working. After_

_ a while, she decided that maybe a break would help her out and she was pretty hungry too. Tenten was walking around Konoha_

_ trying to find a good place to eat and that's when she spotted Naruto. That's when he waved and say hi. He said it in such a cheery_

_ way that it surprised her. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to seeing Naruto around Konoha. It never actually occurred to her_

_ that she never really noticed him earlier. She always had her eyes on Neji but was busy trying to keep Lee in line also but it had_

_ seemed that Lee was lost to Gai sensei. In the time that she was thinking, Naruto was now in front of her saying her name. She_

_ jumped back in surprise, realizing that she had been spacing out. "Hello Naruto. You surprised me." "How did I surprise you, I_

_ waved at you from back there." "How are you doing? I heard that you were in the hospital for quite some time." "I'm doing fine._

_ They let me out early though." "Really? why is that?" "I don't really know but I was hungry so I gotta go!" As Naruto was turning,_

_ Tenten took this chance to get to know Naruto. She had been thinking about him lately mainly because she didn't know who he was,_

_ what he liked, what he did with his spare time and such. Sure they were only a year apart but they had all participated in the chunin_

_ exam together. "Hey Naruto!" She yelled a little too loudly. "Yeah?" "Mind if I join you?" "Sure!" With that Naruto gave a smile_

_ and Tenten started to walk with him. They ended up eating ramen but it to a nice conversation. At the very least, she learned a little_

_ more about him but the best part about it was the fact that it was a free meal. She also learned that Naruto would be leaving_

_ tomorrow. It was a good night but she did learn a little from Naruto.  
_

Just from the conversation at dinner, Tenten knew that before she improved her throwing skills, she perhaps needed to improve her

Taijutsu first. It was fun and he was very kind to her but it still bothered her a little why she didn't notice him earlier. She admitted that

she was a little sad that he wouldn't be back for a while but it was for a good cause. He said that he was going to bring back Sasuke

while making it sound like he already did it. He was something special, so Tenten smiled a little as she reached her front door.

Lee was running laps around Konoha trying to gain back his speed. He needed to get stronger and fast so that he wouldn't have to

rely on the eight gates. It was clear to him now that he needed to gain his own strength in his own way without sacrificing so much.

He still wanted to gain Sakura's love but that would be a little hard since she was broken up over Sasuke. After every lap Lee would

do several push ups and take off again. This was his sixteenth time around Konoha and he was starting to feel it. Before he could do

twenty without breaking a sweat but maybe it was thanks to the extra weight that he added. It was to be expected but this showed that

Lee wanted to become stronger faster. He wanted to be able to beat someone like Gaara with ease. He almost had him but Lee wasn't

the type of guy to hold a grudge against someone. He learned from his mistakes and the eight gates would only be used for emergency

only. He had only learned how to open five but maybe he could try to learn the sixth and seventh very soon. He need to find out from

Gai sensei what the conditions were to learn the sixth and seventh because in order to learn how to open then, you had to take steps. It

was clear that as you got closer to number eight, the steps started to decrease but the danger in learning them also increased. The first

was fairly simply, all he had to do was increase his stamina, speed, flexibility and strength. Then he had to imagine a situation where

he was willing to save another life. Then again the second one was just strange. Lee wanted to forget what he had to do for the second

step. It was like a race but an impossible one but as Lee had proved, the impossible is indeed possible. With that Lee continued his

laps, he needed to reach 50 laps.

It was an uneventful night but the day seemed to say otherwise. It was Naruto's last day in Konoha and he had only told a few.

Maybe it was for the best because he was told not to tell anyone but only two had learned of his departure. Tomorrow had promise to

be a brighter day. Tomorrow...

Sorry for my late late update. Finals are let's say very unfriendly. I wish I could take them in a restaurant because there, the customer is always right. Well tell me if you enjoyed this. There will be one more chapter before I fast forward to the future. Tomorrow is my last final so give me another four days to get back in the groove.


	6. Contemporary Farewell

Contemporary Farewell

At the gates he stood there. It was a change for him to be early but it did not help that he couldn't sleep. It was the

beginning of a new journey yet it was the end of his current one. Sasuke would have to wait. "So wait, just wait,

Sasuke." he quietly whispered to himself. Naruto hadn't spoken with anyone since he found out that he was going to be

training for a little under three years. It was something to think about. He would miss ramen but he was curious if he

would miss anyone? Would anyone miss him? So he stood there thinking about it some more. At the same time he was

thinking that he hadn't had the time to tell anyone that he was going away. He didn't know that maybe there was

someone who wanted to see him one last time at the very least. With a sigh, he turned toward the open gates. It was a

first for him to be there early. It had also felt like this was going to be the last time he was going to be able to call this

place home. "Yeah, home." he said under his breath. With that said he continued to look out those gates with the rising

sun.

Throughout the night, Sakura had been thinking about the events that were unfolding. The sudden betrayal of Sasuke

and the change in everyone in the village. Naruto was starting to mature at the very least. It appeared that Sasuke had

pushed Naruto to realize a truth that maybe have been too painful before. The world is ever changing and even if today

I am your friend, tomorrow, I may be your enemy. Yesterday is what it was, with no regrets, time keeps us all moving

ahead even if it hurts us. With that Sakura was up and ready to start the day. It had felt like she hadn't slept in days but

it was the first night that she didn't cry herself to sleep. It was the first night that she finally got an actual grip on her

own life. She was going to ask Tsunade to train her. First she wanted to see what Naruto was up to. Maybe they could

have lunch together and try to plan out how they're going to bring back their former comrade. It was unusual for

Sakura to depend on Naruto so much now but that was going to change. Sakura wasn't going to be a bystander any

longer, she will bring Sasuke back. If she doesn't, then she will end up suffering even more. So to put an end to that

pain, Sakura was going to become stronger. It was just for Sasuke but it was for herself. She only had her brains but

soon that was going to change. She had begun to train her body but that wasn't enough. It was still too early to tell but

if she were to get help with her training, if she could find an effective way to train, then she could become stronger in a

shorter time. With that said, Sasuke would return that much sooner. With this in mind, Sakura started on her way out

her door.

Tsunade was with her teammate trying to take in all that was said. It was true that Naruto was waiting at the gate but it

was amazing that he was there early. She was also starting to have second doubts about letting Naruto go for three

years. Well three years was the maximum amount of time but it was still a long time. She had always thought of Naruto

as a younger brother. Maybe it was because he resembled her younger brother. Maybe it was the fact that she was the

Godaime and the entire village was now her responsibility. Akatsuki wasn't going to be making any sort of moves for

quite sometime and Orochimaru isn't able to transfer for three years. It seemed like it was the perfect time to plan a

defensive strategy but she knew that if Naruto were to stay, his growth would be slower than that, if he were to go train

with Jiraiya. She continued to look out at the village as the sun started to lift the shadow of the night. It was time for her

to head down. It was the proper thing to do. She had to at least see him off even if it hurt. Through her eyes, Konoha

was losing a fine ninja but she also knew that it wasn't going to last. Yet, something deep down told her otherwise. No

one else had been informed of Naruto's departure because for his friends, it was one way to leave without the pain but

it was also a way to leave pain. At this point, Tsunade was already walking down the steps while thinking this out. "It's

for the best." she kept repeating to herself. "It's for the best."

Neji was staring up from his bed. He had a goodnight. It wasn't like him to be staying up so late. Yet it was worth it,

was it not? He kept thinking whether this was a good thing or not but maybe now wasn't the time to be thinking about

that.

_Neji was waiting out in the dark. It was very late and he knew that no one else would be up but he kept very quiet and_

_ alert. He was waiting because she asked him to meet him. She wanted to talk but why was he feeling nervous? It was his_

_ choice to have her come over. It was after his fight that he started to notice her a little more. He was still trying to_

_ shake the idea of dying even though he had won. He was curious if this was why Naruto was strong. He had fought for_

_someone else. With his fight against him during the Chunin Exams, he was fighting for Hinata-sama. Was that why he_

_ pushed so hard? To further conclude this, Naruto was fighting for Sasuke during their mission yet he failed to bring_

_ him back but his spirit was still unbroken. "What is your secret?" With that thought, he had let his guard down that he_

_ didn't notice that someone was behind him until he was pushed. At that moment Neji had activate his Byakugan to find_

_ that this attacker was none other than Hinata. "Hinata-sama?" Was that that he could whispered. He was surprised_

_ that she had managed to sneak up on him. It was at that moment that he was curious why she was out. "Hinata-sama,_

_ what are you doing up so late?" With that Hinata paused and told him that she was getting some water. Then she asked_

_ him the same thing. It was unexpected but the only thing that Neji could come up with was training. It was then that a_

_ voice could be heard. "Neji, Neji. Neji." Neji's thought's now were racing. It was then that Hinata had tricked him. She_

_ also managed to blackmail him. It was unbelievable but there was no other choice. He cooperated with her and_

_ continued on with the night. It started out with a conversation in the street. Normally Neji wouldn't stop for such_

_ unimportant things but that day was different. He knew that he had to train but just talking like that was enough to_

_ calm him nerves and he found that it helped his performance. The plan was to once again talk but he didn't expect her_

_ to come so late. It's true that Neji didn't want the house to know but he also felt that he had more than enough free time_

_ in the late evening. He arranged that they meet at his place because he didn't want to be found missing but this just_

_ proved to be just as serious. Then again, Neji knew that he was over thinking the idea. The night seemed to be too short_

_ but when she had left, she had kissed him on his forehead before leaving._

With that Neji was sitting up trying to think more about it. It was a night to remember but it was also a little confusing

for him. He didn't know what to do. All he could do was sit there that night until the sun had started to rise. Maybe

change is good. "So let me feel change" Neji said to himself.

Hinata looking at the sunrise. She had been sitting next to the window since the early morning. It had seemed like

something was going to happen but she couldn't tell whether it was something wonderful or something horrible.

Whatever it was she had made up her mind. Today was the day that she was going to tell Naruto everything. Today was

the day that she would confess her love for him. Maybe that was why she awoke so early in the morning. She had spent

her morning looking at the early morning sky. No matter what it had to be today. It had to be, because for so long she

wanted to tell him. She wanted to confess now. She had to because it felt as though her heart was about to burst from

the pressure. It was like that time she went to the hospital. The same feeling when she had kissed him. This time she

wanted the feeling to be mutual. It was an impulse but it was also something she wanted to do. When she was with him,

she was at peace. She was able to put every problem away and look at the positive. Even though he was in a coma for a

while, it felt like he still had an effect on her. When she was away from him, her chest would start to ache and she

would only think of him. No matter what she was doing, she would think of him the entire day. Maybe it was time but

she kept running the options in her head over and over. So she sat there thinking of the best way to tell him. She sat

there looking at the rising sun, trying to fight her rational thoughts. Impossible, improbable and only a fantasy, no this

wasn't going to be the way it ends. She sat there still looking serene even though her mind was disagreeing with her

heart. Yet the final decision would be reached in an instant.

Kiba had been up early training with Akamaru trying to create a decent defense. It started off with continuous exercises

that his sister had created. Supposedly, it was to increase his muscle mass and speed so he would have endurance and

agility but his sister had not told him how the move was to be executed. She had only told him that he needed to find

the basics of this new defense on his own. "Why can't she just show me so I can learn it that much faster?" Kiba had

said to himself. It had only been a few days but there was no improvement. It would only be a matter of time before his

sister would come by to help him. In actuality, all she did was attack him. No matter how painful it was, he was starting

to evade his sister's attacks more. That only showed that Akamaru and Kiba's teamwork was improving even more but

he knew that his sister was holding back. He knew that she was preparing him but he needed to develop this new

technique. The thought of Akamaru almost dying was etched in his mind. Never again. Never again! It was sunrise

already and he felt ready for his sister's attacks, "Today is the day!" he said to himself aloud.

Naruto was still standing there at the gates. It was now time to leave as Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraiya were now

approaching. This was Naruto's farewell to Konoha, "But only for a while" he said under his breath. The reason for the

secrecy was to give Naruto a chance to disappear from his enemies radar. It wasn't going to be this way but logic had

won for the better. No one would know about his departure and it would seem as though he was still there. From the

time that they arrived, Tsunade had managed to hold onto Naruto for a while. It was sad to see him leave and she

wished him the best of luck. Kakashi had given him a going away present that might prove useful but he was told not to

open it for another month. The item was in a box with a seal on it. The box itself was rectangular in shape but it was

small enough for him to place in his bag. After that, Naruto was walking by Jiraiya, it was set in his mind that he would

train and he would become stronger. He wanted to protect everyone who was important and he wanted to bring back

Sasuke before Orochimaru could harm him. "Are you ready?" **Kid, we're going to become the strongest after this. **"I

trust you, so now our journey begins."

Hinata was now running across Konoha. She had attempted to find Naruto but he wasn't at his house. After that she had

heard Tsunade and Kakashi talking about Naruto.

"_Tsunade-sama, have you seen Naruto?" Hinata had asked with hope that she knew. "Sorry Hinata, I haven't seen_

_ him." With that Hinata turned her head down and started to turn around in defeat. With this, Tsunade had looked into_

_ Hinata's eyes and decided that maybe this was for the best. That was until Kakashi had given her a nudge. Kakashi had_

_ just given Tsunade a glance and from that she understood. "Hinata, he left out the gate ten minutes ago. If you want,_

_ you can try to catch him." With that Hinata immediately looked up and started to run towards the main gate. "Do you_

_ think she'll make it?" Tsunade had managed to say. "I think so but it's up to her from here on." Kakashi had said. _

Hinata had managed to use her Byakugan to find their location and she was now running. Any other day she would've

given up but hearing that Naruto was leaving had made her heart skip a beat. She didn't even ask Tsunade how long he

was going to be gone but she suspected something by the way she answered. _"Sorry, I haven't seen him" "he left out_

_ the gate" _It was strange for her to say that she didn't know where he was but then to suddenly change her mind. What if

he wasn't coming back for a while? A week? Month? Two months? The thought was making her feel uneasy but she

continued to run faster to catch him. She had to reach him.

Naruto was walking alongside Jiraiya silently talking to Kyuubi. "Hey, when are you going to start teaching me some

of those techniques? I regained my strength and I have a better control of my chakra." **Patience kid, patience. We'll**

** start soon after we reach out destination but I think you should turn around.**

With that said, Naruto had started to turn to find himself tackled to the ground. It was sudden but there was nothing he

could do. Jiraiya was still walking but he said "Catch up when you get the chance, Naruto." Right now, Naruto was very

confused. What happened? He had the wind knocked out of him and there was warmth on top of him. From there, he

felt his waist being squeezed, it was then that he finally opened his eyes. Right on top of him was an exhausted Hinata.

She was holding onto him with her eye's closed. It felt weird but at the same time, it was comfortable. So Naruto laid

there for another thirty seconds before breaking the silence. "Hinata-chan, why are you out here?" The response that he

got was unexpected. "Naruto-kun, are you really going away?" She had said this without stuttering but at the same time

she had tears in her eyes. "It's true, but I'm coming right back." Naruto have managed to say while putting on a smile.

Hinata was now sitting up. She was trying to hold the tears back but that didn't stop her eye's from watering. "How

long are you going to be gone, Naruto-kun?" Naruto was now quiet. He had never seen Hinata like this before and it

was starting to affect him. "Up to three years..." This was all that Naruto could say, yet he felt like he should've said

more. "Don't go! Don't go!" Hinata couldn't hold her tears anymore. Just hearing this, had caused her to break down a

little bit more. She didn't expect him to be gone more than a month but it was true, three years. Three years without

seeing him smile. Three years without him was too much to bear. "I have to go Hinata-chan, I'm sorry but this is the

only way I can get stronger. Please don't cry. I'm not worth crying over." With that Hinata had wrapped her arms

around Naruto again. "Don't say that! You are worth every tear. You might not know it but you are worth so much

more. If I could, I would make you're tears disappear. The pain, sadness, loneliness, all of it! You don't have to be

strong by yourself! I want to help you but I know that now, I can't do much. Please, tell me how I can help you. I'll do

anything for you...because...because I don't just admire you. You are so much more to me." With that Hinata was now

crying. Naruto had his arms around Hinata now. "It's ok. I'm sorry but I can't bring you along but I'll be back. I

promise. I'll come back so don't cry so much." With this Hinata had her face in Naruto's chest and continued to cry. "I

don't want you to go. I don't want to see you leave." "shhhh. Hinata-chan, it's alright.It's alright."With that said Naruto

took the pendant that Tsunade had given him and put it around Hinata's neck. "Here, this is my promise to you that I

will come back. So keep that safe for me. ok?" Naruto said this with a smile and Hinata let him go. "Thank you

Naruto-kun. Thank you" With that Naruto kissed her on the forehead before he turned to leave. After Naruto was out of

sight, Hinata turned to make her way toward the village. It hurt so much but she knew she had to hold on. He would be

back. He promised and he given her the pendant to hold onto. Thank you, She said in her head.

Sasuke was up early to take a walk. For the past few days, he had been training continuously under Orochimaru but

lately he had been away so he had to train on his own. So far his training had advanced but he still needed work. It

wasn't perfected yet and in his current condition, he wouldn't last two minutes against Itachi. That was his drive but he

was improving and he didn't have to rely on the curse seal as much anymore. Even during his training, he had refused

to use it regardless of the situation. All he needed was his Sharingan. That was all he needed but when he wasn't

training, he started to think about Sakura. It was odd for him because he didn't think about her on purpose. He would

be sleeping and suddenly, she would be in his dreams. He would be eating and the food would remind him of her also.

It was starting to get annoy him but he felt calm when he thought of her. That was the main reason he stopped using the

curse seal but the excuse he gave was different. _"If I don't use it and rely on my own strength, my training would be_

_ more beneficially for the both of us." _It satisfied Orochimaru and that was all he needed to do. He also believed that he

didn't need to explain himself but it was true, he was becoming stronger everyday that pasted. Maybe he could kill

Itachi before Orochimaru took over his body. He knew that Orochimaru would not honor his promise. That's why

Sasuke continued to play the fool. When he gets the chance, Orochimaru will be no more. Then Itachi will follow. With

this said, Sasuke suddenly started to think about her again. The feeling for revenge had subsided and he was now calm.

Her smile, just one more time. One more time, would be all he would ever need. Just to see her smile one more time.

With that Sasuke continued his training.

To Be Continued...

sorry it took me a while to get this one out. My mind got slow after finals. I slept and slept. I also lost track of everything too. so I apologize once again. I'll work harder to get the next one out soon. This is also the end of the beginning, next will be the time jump. Review please because it's the readers that help motivate me!!


	7. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

2 1/2 years later...

Konoha was standing off in the distance and it seemed very peaceful in the afternoon sun. There were a few clouds in

the vast sky but that made the village seem even more peaceful. "Somethings never change. Isn't that right old man?"

The only change that could be seen in the distance was the monument that held the Hokages. It seemed as though there

was an addition to it and it was something new. A female Hokage among the four previous males. "So they finally put

her mug up there. I guess we'll find out how she's doing." It seemed like the only thing to do was to keep going. There

was no point in trying to figure out the future. For a boy had walked the path to become a man but the end of that

journey was still ahead. There was no point in rushing ahead of one's self. There was no point in trying to consider the

many variables. These were the thought's the surged into Naruto's mind. It seemed as though he had grown up in body

and spirit but he wasn't going to let anyone see that side of him yet. Not yet, isn't that right Kyuubi? **I see you're**

** finally starting to put the pieces together for yourself. **What do you mean? I've always had a grasp on your teachings.

**Don't push your luck kid. Just remember that you're not alone. **Roger. Now it's about time we see everyone and try

to get my friend back. It was a sight to see Naruto and Jiraiya walking toward Konoha. Both were dressed in cloaks with

their colors. Jiraiya went with a red cloak with black lining and Naruto went with a black cloak with orange lining.

Right now they were keeping their identity a secret because the hunt was about to begin. They understood what it meant

to be discovered by the enemy. It would spell the end for Naruto. So they continued to walk side by side under the

hoods of their cloaks. Konoha, no, home was just in the distance.

The day started off the same as it always had. It was to wake up, train, and then sleep. If she was lucky, there was

enough time for a walk. It had seemed so long ago but the wound was still fresh. The bitterness left in her mouth was

still strong. How did it come to this. No long walks where they would talk about anything and everything, no picnics or

even a movie. Now it was just training. Just training, nothing more and nothing less. It bothered her to feel this way. It

was his fault for breaking it off but why? Why did he have to break her heart into several million pieces. Even if those

pieces where larger pieces, the chips and cracks would never go away. The pieces should be like sand any ways. It hurt

so much but it was only a couple months ago but it felt like there was no closure. that's why it was so difficult, there was

no real closure to their relationship. It was something to think about as Tenten continued to practice. Maybe this was

how it was suppose to be. They were still pretty close as teammates but after that, well it was too difficult to deal with. If

only there was someone she could talk with. Someone who could listen to how she felt. She wasn't that close to Sakura

or Ino but maybe she would try later. Tenten felt uneasy about talking to Hinata about this mainly because she lived in

the same house as Neji did. "why did it come to this?" Tenten took a moment to look up at the afternoon sky thinking

that it was a beautiful day so she continued to practice.

Sakura was standing at the top of the Hokage Monument. Only recently was the construction to put the new Hokage's

face on it. It had only been a year but that wasn't why she was there. When Sakura went off to the top, it usually meant

that she was thinking about something. Memories, decisions and thoughts. This time was no different. It was her lunch

break from training and she had gone a long way from where she was. Ino had joined Sakura as a student of Tsunade a

little later but both had been pushing one another so they could further advance their methods. It had worked, the first

month of training together got them to go past the basics which would normally take at the very least 5 months to grasp.

Sakura had the edge in her control of her chakra but Ino was right behind her, plus Ino made it look incredibly easy. Of

course on the side, Tsunade had trained on her taijutsu which was now more than enough. It had been two year since

Naruto left. It was only a few more months till it was 3 but she was wondering if he would be back in time. Tsunade had

told her that Orochimaru's jutsu needed 3 years before he would be ready to possess his next victim. So only 6 more

months till Sasuke was completely lost. She hadn't thought about what would happen if they failed. What if Naruto

never came back? Would she had to do it alone? To retrieve a lost teammate without the other? She didn't want to lie to

herself, she needed help. She wanted someone to go with her, to support her. After a while Sakura started to stare off in

the distance. She had heard from Tsunade that there were a couple of strangers walking toward Konoha. They were

close enough for them to check on them but it seemed like they were taking their time getting to Konoha. It was

recommended that Tsunade should send the ANBU out to keep an eye them but she rejected the idea. If they were a

threat at all, they would've stuck silently but she kept them on standby just in case. According to the reports, both were

wearing cloaks hiding their identity and managed to conceal their chakra if they had any at all. Sakura was hoping that

it was Naruto. If it was, then they both could bring back Sasuke together. She wouldn't be alone anymore. She was sure

enough that Naruto would be able to do it, even if it killed him but she wasn't going to let that happen. She would bring

back both her teammates back alive.

She had returned from a mission that had last almost a week and she was glad to be home again. She was now unpacking

from the long trip and was going to train afterwards. She had been training for 2 years now and felt like her techniques

still needed to be honed some more. None of her family or friends have seen her full abilities but her technique was

almost complete. Once she had mastered Juken, she had been working on another style of fighting that seemed to add

onto Juken. It did give her an advantage in the long run because her new style didn't require chakra to execute. It was a

sight to see her fight because it showed how much stronger she had gotten these past two years. She was still a quiet

speaker but she was a little aggressive in her actions. Yet there were times when she would walk alone at night. She

would stare off into the pond near her house. No one had an idea of what she was thinking about. Well just about

everyone. Neji did seem to know but he really didn't want to become involved unless he absolutely had too. It had

seemed easier in the beginning to know what she was thinking about but recently, she had become good at hiding her

true object of affection. It seemed that no one knew about her last conversation with Naruto. Well everyone except for

Tsunade and Kakashi but they didn't speak about it but sometimes, she would go see the Fifth. It started out with a

simple conversation and had soon grown to a deep conversation. It seemed like the Fifth had known what she was going

through. Was she doing the right thing? Was this even the right time? Maybe it was just puppy love but she couldn't tell

unless she saw him again. She even told the Fifth of the necklace that Naruto had told her to hold onto. Was that a sign?

Or was it just his promise to return? It didn't mean that he was coming back for her, was it? As the heir to a long

tradition, she didn't seem to think much about her duties to her family as much as this other subject. These were the

thoughts of Hinata Hyuuga. It wasn't because she was still living in the past, it was because she was thinking about the

future. Was it healthy for a 17 year old to be thinking about love at this age when her first kiss was at 15? Was it too

early then to consider it as love? So why? Why did she wear the necklace everyday? Why did she decline offers to

movies and dinners? It seemed so strange to her. Once again, the same questions had continued to loop in her mind.

Finally she appeared in front of the Hokage's office hoping to talk some more about her current situation. She knew it

was coming but she hadn't decided the answer. The reason she was thinking about it now was because he choose today

to ask her out again. At first it was cute that he wanted to go out with her so much but at the same time, she didn't know

what to do. She had only left him with a simple answer consisting of four words, "I'll think about it." Would she tell the

hopeful guy that she was potentially taken and break his heart? Or would she tell him yes and violate her silent promise

to him?Maybe this was just one of the obstacles in her path that she had to make on her own. Whatever her decision, she

though she needed to consult with Tsunade before making her decision.

Shino was standing in front of his house. This had been a first for him. He never knew that he would be able to do

something like that. At first it didn't really matter. It was always duty before anything else. His father even took him on

several missions. So why did it matter now? He had always kept to himself and never did anything for himself like this

but this was something else. When he asked his father about relationships, the only reply he got was that, "Make sure

it's the real thing before jumping into anything serious." After that it was a story on how his father met his mother and

the struggle after she was forced to leave. She was his teammate back then and the first time he met her was through the

academy. She did not come from the same clan but she was very kind and patient. Shino wished that he had been able to

know his mother but he was still very young when it had happened. She had gone against her duties and abandoned a

mission because someone had told her that the mission wasn't the most important. From that Shino had learned to

follow every command all the while trying to follow his mother's example but sometimes, events would conflict with

one another. This was on of those events. He had asked his teammate out several times in the past few months but he

wondered if she would say yes or no. It felt like the right thing at the time but now he was a nervous wreck. This had

never happened to him before so it was a new experience all together. This was for his mother, he thought. This would

be his one thing for his mother so he could continue to live by the rules and follow through with his duties. Yet the

words of his father had rang through his head, "Make sure it is real. You don't want to do something of this magnitude

without any real reason so make sure it really is for yourself and no one else. Remember my words well son, remember

well." With that last thought, Shino started on his walk in the woods. There were no more missions so this was the

perfect time for him to think more about his final decision. Was he really forcing himself into something that he wasn't

ready for?

Shikamaru had found himself walking around with Temari because she still had some time before her meeting with the

Godaime. She had gotten her earlier than expected but it was his duty to escort her. Ever since their second encounter,

they have spent more and more time together. They were opposites in the sense that he was old fashion and she really

didn't have a care about the male-female relationships in society. So far Shikamaru had been in a relationship with Ino

for a little under a year but he was still wondering how he felt about her after all this time. It was his time to think things

over. Had it been a relationship that was worth fighting for or were they both just wanting attention? Were they both

desperate? For the first time in his life, Shikamaru was doubting his decision. With Ino, he had felt like they had a good

thing going for them. He remembered the first time he asked her out.

_It had been a rough day and Shikamaru had just come back from a mission. It had been a year since Naruto left but no_

_ one knew about his departure until a month had passed. It had always been the same, "He's out on a mission. He's not_

_ currently available." It had gotten quiet but Sakura was the one who was the murkiest. She had lost a teammate and_

_ another had gone off on a mission. No one would say how long he was going to be away. Yet, it was strange that he_

_ didn't say good bye to anyone at all. Shikamaru continued to walk to his favorite spot until he saw Ino there. She was_

_ laying in his spot just looking up at the sky. She never did anything like that so Shikamaru continued to approach her_

_ without much thought on her reasons. It was at that moment that she started to speak to him. "How have you been_

_ Shika?" There was a pause before he spoke up. "Fine, I just got back from a mission. What have you been up to?" It_

_ was then that Ino started to cry. "I don't know what to do Shikamaru. I don't know what to do anymore." It came as a_

_ surprise because he hadn't known Ino to just breakdown and cry. So if she was like this, then her situation must be_

_ very...troublesome. As much as he wanted to walk away from her. He listened to what she had to say. Apparently her_

_ parents were in the middle of a big argument. From what it sounded like, it was nothing major but Ino had never seen_

_ her parents act like that. So since the day before, she had been staying with Sakura. Together they planned to use the_

_ money they got from their missions to get an apartment near Hokage Tower so they could both be closer to their work_

_ with Tsunade. Shikamaru had tried to think about Ino's situation. She had been under the influence that her parents_

_ were strong and to suddenly see them become so distraught in front of her was too much for her to bare. So from_

_ stability to instability, the idea he could understand but that was all. He couldn't tell how it felt. So he held the crying_

_ Ino for the next thirty minutes. After that, they had been together more often. It wasn't official but they were a couple_

_ nevertheless.  
_

She needed support, is that the only role I've played all along? We've been together for a year and why am I thinking

about this? It's not because of the appearance of Temari, it's because of me? It's true that Shikamaru was doubting his

relationship status but both of them had grown quite distant in the past few weeks. It seemed as though, they were

together with no reason anymore. There was nothing left to salvage. Was that the case or maybe it was just something in

the moment. All of this took only a few minutes before Shikamaru was brought back to reality with a nudge from

Temari. "Hey? Are you ok? You were spacing there for a moment." "What? Oh yeah, I'm ok. Just thinking about

something." "Ok, well I'll see you this evening then." "Sure" What had just happened? Tonight was his night off to

spend with Ino. Had he forgotten about her again? It wasn't the first time he spaced out like that either. This is getting to

be very "Troublesome." he said under his breath. It wasn't just the thoughts that caused him to think about Temari. She

was so much different from Ino even though Ino and him shared some great experiences. With Temari, he felt a little

more comfortable around her yet at the same time, she would make his heart skip a couple of beats. She was strong and

yet, she had a soft side that hasn't been revealed yet. With this said, "Keep this up and Ino will strangle me," he said to

himself quietly. He couldn't understand what was going on but maybe he did need to talk to Ino before he made any

rash moves. He didn't know what would happen but maybe this was for the best. He was now very confused and that

annoyed him even more. "Troublesome..."

Ino was tending to her parents' flower shop which was something she hadn't done in quite a while. After she became a

Chunin, she had been busy with missions. They usually ended up being the same though. Protect this person, item or

party. Even though, that was the case, it usually ended being very successful. Usually there was little or no problem so it

was boring to some extent. Even being at home was starting to become a bore. It was...it was..."troublesome." After that

Ino realized what she had just said. Shikamaru was really starting to rub off on her. Even though she did like relaxing

and looking up at the clouds with him, she always wanted to do something. It's not that she didn't like it. It was

comforting to just lay by him and listen to his steady heartbeat. The way he held her and the way he would always listen

to her. He always said it was troublesome but he would always be there. Nothing had been happening lately and he had

been spending more and more time away from her on his missions. He also had the additional job of looking over his

family's deer in the forest. The antlers were used for medicine that would save many but she was starting to feel

disconnected from him. Today she had a day off from her studies with Tsunade because she had been on a mission the

day before. It was a boring day indeed. Nothing much to do. So Ino sat there behind the register letting her thoughts

roam.

Kakashi was coming back from a mission. Apparently it was one of those missions that required stealth and blood. The

assassination was a success but his mind wasn't all there. He had done it quickly but that didn't bother him. It was the

feeling of something coming. Something familiar and something that made him worry. He had intensified his training

over the past two years and he did improve. As a Jounin, he was near the top in skill but he was hoping that he wouldn't

need to use those skills unless it was to protect those he loved. He knew that the final confrontation with Orochimaru

would be coming soon. This time he would be ready. The thing that bothered him though was whether he would be

fighting Orochimaru in Sasuke's body. It was a disturbing thought indeed. Would he be able to strike his former student

down if it came down to that? He knew now that his level was above that of Kabuto's but to be on equal terms with

Orochimaru was a goal that was still out of reach. Only a few more months, if he couldn't defeat Orochimaru in the next

few months, he would fail Sasuke, Sakura and even Naruto. Naruto, that was a new thought. Naruto had been gone for

quite some time. It had been a little to quiet in Konoha but he knew that he would come back. The question that

remained though was if he was going to return soon. He would know soon enough because he was almost home.

How long had they been walking now? The sun was now setting and they were almost back in Konoha. They could've

been there already but they both had agreed to keep their activities to a minimum. No one was to find out who they were

and where they were going. Yet as of the day before, it was obvious that they were heading to Konoha. He had said

something about making themselves look weaker from the enemies point of view. It would also minimize their chances

of being discovered and being attacked. So far the plan was going smoothly. No one had approached them and they

knew that they were being watched. Whoever was watching them didn't realize that they had known since they arrived.

Naruto was walking as calmly as he could. His attitude had seemed to changed these past few years but he had learned

to control his power even more and he learned how to focus his energy at the things as hand. His full potential hadn't

been reached but it was more than enough at the moment. That was until, he ran into someone stronger than himself.

Jiraiya wasn't worried at this point, heck, Naruto surpassed him in the last two months of training. Naruto had learned

only a few techniques from Kyuubi because he didn't want Jiraiya to know that they were communicating like that and

besides, the techniques were for Naruto only. The condition that he would teach one of Kyuubi's techniques was that

for protection only. Naruto had kept his words and never even revealed these moves to Jiraiya. **Hey? **What is it? Is

something feel wrong? **No, I was curious if you remembered what happened your last day. The girl that took you**

** down pretty fast. **Yeah, what about it? **Aren't you curious about her? **Not at the moment but you know something.

**What? **She's the closest thing I know to a real home. **What do you mean? **I don't know. ** You don't know? Yet, you**

** talk about her being the closest thing to home? **Yeah. I don't know, I think I might have to see her again to find out

but she cares about me. I'm sure that applies to you since you are a part of me. **Don't get mushy on me kid. It seems**

** like you have so much more to discover about yourself but this past year, you have improved a lot. You should be**

** well above that of a Jounin. **Well thank you, you helped, not that you couldn't. **What's that suppose to mean?**

Nothing. Well we'll find out how everyone is doing when we get back, right? **By everyone, you mean her? **Shut up. I

mean her. WAIT! I meant everyone. **Well I'm going to get some rest now. **Yeah, sweet dreams. With that Naruto's

inner conversation with Kyuubi was over. It was second nature now to him. He didn't need to take his attention away

from what he was doing because while they talked, Kyuubi acted like extra eyes. He started out thinking about how he

would get Sasuke back to Hinata. He was curious if she was ok. He didn't really say much to her even after she spilled

her heart to him. In all honesty, he didn't know what to do. He was only 15 at the time, what was he suppose to say?

Well that wasn't helping him one bit but he was looking forward to seeing her again. Maybe this time, he might be able

to say something to her. Maybe, if he was brave enough. Right now they had stopped for the night. It was getting late

and they had been walking the entire day. So they set up camp and fell a sleep without removing their cloaks. The time

that they returned was the time they announced their return and the search for Sasuke would begin.

She didn't know why she was standing at the front door so late in the night. She was hoping that everyone was a sleep

but things always took a turn for her.

_Her visit with Tsunade was like the others. They talked about how they were and what they planned to do for the next_

_ day. Then from there Hinata asked her question about her feelings toward Naruto. She had replied that maybe she_

_ needed to move on for now. She should see other people before making a final decision because she was still young._

_ Love can be found anywhere but if you want to find your soul mate, you can't decide with the first one. You need to_

_ explore more before making a final decision. _

So that's what she decided to do. Once more she knocked to finally see the door opening. It was Shino and he looked a

little tense. "I've thought about your question and made up my mind." Why was she the one confronting him? Weren't

guys always the one to ask and confront? "Yeah" Shino had replied quietly trying to keep his cool because he was

nervous that his hands were shaking now. "I'll go out with you and see where we go." With that Shino looked like his

legs were going to give out but he fought the urge and didn't know what to say besides "Ok." With that Hinata turned to

walk off, this was indeed a strange week. She missed Naruto but she got advise that went against what she wanted.

Maybe this was for the best but it bothered her a little that she rushed her decision. Then she turned to hear her name

being called. "Um, Hinata, are you free tomorrow because I would enjoy your company for dinner." Shino now looked

very tense. Had he never done this before? "Sure, that would be nice. Pick me up at 8." With that Shino went back to his

house and she continued walking back to her own home. She kept thinking about how things came to this. Maybe it was

for the best?

Shino was sleeping when he heard the knocking. He didn't want to get up but he went to answer it any ways. By the time

he got there, he looked to find that it was Hinata. His heart skipped a beat as he opened the door. Why was she here so

late at night? Then she told him her answer. He didn't know what to do, but he was so nervous that his legs started to

buckle. Why was he acting like his? Was it because of the nervousness? After she started to leave, he gathered the

courage to run after her. He had to say something besides ok and thank you. "Um, Hinata, are you free tomorrow

because I would enjoy your company for dinner." Why was he being so formal? "Sure, that would be nice. Pick me up at

8." After that he could've sworn that he blacked out. He started to walk back to his house and he wanted to fall. The

pressure that had been on him was now off of him and he wanted to fall onto the ground and lay there. He made it in the

house and closed the door. After that, he feel down and blacked out.

Ino was starting to close the store down. It hadn't been a busy day so she spent the whole time thinking. Even though it

had been two years since Konoha was attacked, nothing had been going on since then. It's seemed like time ceased but

other than that, she was just confusing herself. Even though she didn't feel the same about Shikamaru, she couldn't ruin

in unless she was certain. They had only been together for a year but it seemed like the magic was gone. Why now? Was

their relationship really coming to an end? Ino continued walking as she put the piece of paper in her pocket. She

couldn't say anything about what had happened but maybe she should. Honesty was the only thing holding them

together in the larger picture. What would come of this now?

Sorry for the delay so I wrote a nice long chapter!! enjoy and review!!!!


	8. Concluding Emergence

Concluding Emergence

Neji had begun warming up for today's training exercise. From the outside, he was cold and sometime cruel to other people, even his superiors but he had another side to him.

A side that was unseen by the rest of the world except for one person. She was his world but he broke up with her not too long ago. It left him devastated but he was good at repressing his emotions. He didn't know why he did it. Everything seemed to be just going fine but he was afraid. He was afraid what would happen if their relationship were to escalate even further. Would they be the same people in love? Would it be the same 5 years later? What if it wasn't? He didn't know what to do so he did what every other person would do if they were afraid and confused. He pushed her away, he knew that she would listen to him without saying anything.

He missed their nights together and their lunch dates. Just sitting under a tree with her while listening to her talk was enough for him. Even though it was so much more than that. The walks through the village and watching the sunset after a mission. So many happy memories that were now just too painful to even thing about. To be away from her was another issue. He felt even more alone and isolated. His concentration was out the window because she was always on his mind and even when she wasn't, he would find a way to think of her. Even when he was training with Hiashi, he wasn't as proficient as he was a month ago. Had he finally reached his peak or was the break up more of a distraction?

Whatever it was, it was starting to show day after day. Just the other day, he had been caught by surprise by Lee running up from behind him. Normally, he would have greeted him before Lee was even sure it was him. It bothered him a lot. A week after the break up, he hadn't eaten anything decent enough to call a meal. He would see her when they had their team meetings or when they were sent on missions. It had put him in some awkward situations. He would try to avoid her but that sometimes made the situation worse. Even if he were to talk with her, he wouldn't know what to say. It just made him feel inferior to even be like this. Yet there, he was, confused and very lost. Maybe today would be different. Maybe...

elsewhere...

Naruto was already up, it was quite a task but he had found the best way to wake the sleeping Jiraiya. He was a heavy sleeper so sometimes, he needed a little excess force to wake him up.

He had been the one to say that they were going to leave early. So far they had been followed by Konoha's ANBU but they weren't going to attack unless they thought that they were a threat of some sort but they kept their distance nevertheless.

It was strange because a year ago, Naruto wasn't able to detect chakra all that well but now, he could feel them. It didn't matter if they concealed their chakra either because he had special training with Kyuubi to improve most of the techniques that he learned. Sometimes, they would find the most efficient way to use a technique and sometime they created a new jutsu from a learned technique. If he didn't have any help from Kyuubi, Naruto wouldn't be in his current state. Naruto had learned the water dragon missile from Jiraiya quite some time ago but it wasn't till a little later that he had learned how to improve the technique by a little. It took a little more chakra but that wasn't a problem for the young man. Suiton: Tsuin Suiryudan No Jutsu (twin water dragon blast).

At that moment Jiraiya was several hundred feet away from their original position. It was at that same moment that the ANBU nearby thought that it was an attack on them. They didn't hesitate to make their move on the two strangers. "Katon Karyu Endan (Fire Dragon Flame Missile)!" "Kanashibari No Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis)! At that moment, the paralysis had already hit Naruto. Jiraiya was already off the ground and ready for a fight if needed. All he saw was Naruto stop and then he was hit by a wall of flames. The area that was covered with trees was now alive with fire. The two ANBU who had attacked were now analyzing the scene on the spot. Although it did seem like they did eliminate the target, there was no body. The flame wasn't hot enough to destroy a body.

At that moment, both were knocked on the ground face first. Jiraiya was patiently waiting for Naruto. He didn't seem concerned at all about their current situation even though most of their equipment was destroyed. They were almost home. As for the two unconscious ANBU, they were recovered by their team who were now rushing back with a report. It was unbelievable because, the Kanashibari was suppose to completely immobilize the victim of the technique. Not only did he happen to cancel the effects, he was able to avoid the second attack that happened a few seconds before the paralysis technique. Who was this person? It had also seemed as though his traveling companion did not care but it wasn't that he didn't care. It was because there was no reason to react. They were both on a completely different level from them. This had to be reported immediately.

To be able to knock two ANBU members unconscious and without killing them was a great feat indeed. He was grateful that they were only knocked unconscious. What would have happened if they were to fight seriously?

"Kind of overdid it, don't you think?" "Yeah, I guess I did go overboard." With a grin that covered most of his face, both proceeded on their journey which would soon come to an end.

"You attacked them without evaluating their strength!? What the hell were you thinking!?" As an angry Tsunade was yelling at the captain of the team, she had different thought.

What would have happened if the two strangers were there to attack Konoha? What if they weren't? A dead ambassador wasn't something she would have wanted. She also didn't want to have people from her village to lose their life.

Yet, even with that attack on them, they reacted with no problem and they also didn't deliver a finishing attack. As far as anyone could tell, they just knocked out two ANBU with no problem. Who were they and why were they there? That was the mission given to the captain but, that mission failed.

Maybe they had known that they were being followed. So who were they? From their fighting abilities, one had used a technique that was unheard of. Two dragon missiles at once. Is that even possible? A single dragon missile but that was common in the mist. Were they from the mist? She needed more details to know exactly what she would do but for now, she would put the ANBU on guard duty around Konoha. They were not to make a move unless they were certain that the two strangers were enemies.

It was odd though, throughout the time that they had watched them, they had not used any chakra nor had they given off even a hint of chakra. Just how strong were they? It was one thing to gamble with money because it can be replaced easily but this was not the case. Tsunade didn't like being pushed into a corner, the village depended on her and if she was wrong about these two, that would lead to the destruction of Konoha. That was what she was basically doing. She was using the lives of the village to make sure that no harm came but her other option wasn't any better. They had shown that they were strong enough to kill anyone who got in their way. If she gave the order to kill, it would take many ninja to do that. At least this way, they would be here to protect the village. She was hoping that it wouldn't come down to that.

Hinata awoke to the birds outside her window. It was another day and the usual things ran through her head. What will I do today? When will I find time to train. Where was Naruto? After that question it hit her. "That's right." she said with a sad tone. Last night she had decided to go out with Shino. So why did it make her kind of sad when she had said Naruto? It wasn't like she wasn't going to see him again. He would come back soon. What would happen if he never did though? Even if she weren't with Shino, it would've been the same thing. Wake up, prepare breakfast, train and go to sleep. At least now, she had dinner plans with someone who liked her. What was to say that Naruto didn't like her? No, even if he were to come back today, it's not like he would say anything to me. He would never tell me that I love you. He probably wouldn't even recognize me. What if he did? "aaahhhhh, this is driving me crazy." She hadn't realized that she yelled that out loud that it scared her a bit. Well, she would find out tonight after her date with Shino. Today is going to be a great day. Will it?

Chouji had been out in the early morning with his father. At first, he had told him that he was going to take him out to eat but he didn't include the fight for his life. He had been training almost everyday since their rescue mission three years ago failed. It was like being slapped for doing something wrong. They did do something wrong, they underestimated their opponents and they had done the same to them. He wanted to protect everything that was important to him and most of all, he wanted to be able to stand up on his own. Shikamaru had been his friend for a long time but he couldn't rely on him all the time. He understood that there would be a time when they would be separate from one another. He knew that he was progressing in his training but why would his father drag him out of bed and trick him with a nice meal? It seemed a little off but it made a little sense. He couldn't quite piece them together but all he needed to do now was defeat his father, if he could that is.

What made today interesting? Well it started out like every other day. He would wake up, eat and leave for the Hokage tower. He would receive his orders, carry them out and then go back home. He would also find himself with Ino most of the time but not today. He had told her that today was his day off and she told him to meet her on the bridge. It wasn't a very big bridge but it was very old.

He found himself staring into the water thinking about everything. Although it was his day off, he still had to baby-sit Temari. He chuckled at the though, if she heard him say that, he would've been slapped across the face. It was funny, he would spend his time with Temari and they would get along just fine. She still called him a crybaby and he still called her troublesome.

They were good friends at this point in time. She also knew about Ino and sometimes he would talk to her about her. Ino was acting rather odd lately too. It wasn't like she was mad at him. She just started to act strange around him. Temari had joked with him that she was getting jealous of them being friends. Even if that were the case, Ino wouldn't make a fuss about something so trivial. It wasn't like her. Ino was there for him when he needed her and he did the same for her.

Although he was there for her most of the time but that didn't bother him. There were times when she would drive him crazy but in the end, they would always work things out. He felt like everything was going ok between them. He had nothing to worry about but what was this feeling. It was as though there was something wrong, maybe it was just him. Nothing was wrong and everything would work eventually even if there was.

What was he thinking? Why did he have to ruin a good thing between them. Tenten wasn't in the best of moods ever since he broke up with her. She wasn't the type to break down and cry. Nor did she try to get him to take her back. If she had any negative energy it was from the fact that she was pissed off at Neji. Even though it had been a while she was still trying to figure him out.

It was a month ago that he decided to break it off with her. It wasn't as though he told her to meet him at the bridge or on the Hokage Monument no, he did it in a more casual way. It just made her angry thinking about it. He had done it so casually that he probably thought it was cool. No question and no answers were gained from him. It didn't even seem like it was affecting him in any way. Every time she had tried to talk to him, he would either try to avoid her or find some haphazard excuse to get away.

She wouldn't admit that there were times when she would cry over it but it was natural. She had everything she ever wanted. There was someone there for her. He would actually listen to everything she said, how her day was and what she did. They had shared their hopes and dreams together. They did that as a team but when it was just them, they connected on so many levels that it felt perfect.

_Tenten was waiting under the tree that was by the stream that ran through Konoha. It was almost time for him to show up. He had told her to meet him at this spot with no explanation. They had come back from a mission and he wanted to see her later on in the night. He gave her a place and a time. It had sounded like a date so that was probably why she showed up. They had been on countless missions together and it had seemed as though he was softening up to her or maybe it was all in her head. She had a tendency to daydream every now and then. It didn't happen often but it did nevertheless. Normally she would still be out training in whatever light was available but not tonight. _

_Tonight, she was going to find out what Neji had to say or show. She didn't know why she was here at this spot at all. She wasn't wearing anything too elaborate nor was it too casual. Whether Neji was going to just talk or ask her out, she was going to listen. He was still her teammate so she felt obligated to see what he had to say. It also seemed serious if he were to approach her and ask her for anything. He'd either ask her on the spot or ask through Lee. Something was up and it was bothering her. It was starting to drive her crazy now. He'd better show up and give her a good reason to be out. Well, that wasn't the truth. He'd better show up and give her a reason so she can stop freaking out about it. _

_She was too busy with her thoughts to even realize that he was behind her. "Tenten?" With that she jumped and she could've sworn that her heart had skipped a beat. "Neji! Don't sneak up on me like that!" "A ninja should be more alert of their surroundings so it was your fault for not noticing me." With that, she knew that it was too good to be true. _

_He wasn't there to confess his love for her, it seemed like she was there to be lectured. What was the use, she had thrown out hints that were obvious. He hadn't gotten the picture. She thought he changed after his fight with Naruto. She though he had because after they came back from their mission to retrieve Sasuke, she had waited with him after he got out of intensive care. Lee was all right and he would drop by every now and then. She could've sworn that he smiled just a little at her before greeting her. He still denies it but she knew he smiled, even if it were just a little. _

"_Tenten?" Now she could hear him calling her name. "Tenten!" It wasn't till then that she snapped back into reality. "Are you ok, Tenten? Maybe we should continue this tomorrow."_

"_No, no, I'm fine. Just a little tired." She then proceeded to stretch her arms above her head. "Just a little tired." "Ok, then I'll tell you tomorrow." "Huh?" Tenten was in a state of panic now. He had never asked to talk with her and tell her that, they would continue the next day. It was strange. It just wasn't like him to say something like that. If he had something important to say, he would get mad at you if you weren't listening. Not this time, something was wrong._

"_What is it Neji?" She had said it a little stiff but she wanted to know. She also didn't want him to know that she was nervous now. Was she going to see what he wanted to say tonight? _

"_It's nothing important, if you're tired,I think you should get some rest." "Wait, please tell me Neji. I'm listening now." It was a sight to see, Tenten was by the tree and Neji was only a few inches away. The night sky just made it seem romantic._

_ If only that were the case. "Tenten, it's about you." Here it comes, he's going to give me a lecture and he's going to be mad at me. "I've been wanting to tell you something for the past few weeks." Wait, what did he just say? "It's about the time, you were in the hospital with me. I had just gotten out of the emergency room and you were right there." Is he going to thank me after three weeks? _

_This is getting interesting and stranger by the minute. "You have asked me if I had smiled and every time, I told you no. Well, I lied." Why is he telling me this? What is he trying to say? Is he going to give me a reason? "The reason...the reason" Here it comes, come on, say it! The suspense is killing me! "I like you Tenten. I like you as a teammate and it wasn't until that day I saw you by me that I started to really like you more than a friend." Tenten was in complete shock after that sentence. Like you... like you tenten...really...like...more...friend. "Tenten?" Tenten had forgotten that she was still standing in front of Neji and she had also forgotten to breath. "You like me? More then a friend?" _

_It was a lot for her to take in at one time. Neji was still standing there not sure what to do next. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." "Wait!" "Yeah?" "Is that all you wanted to say? You tell me to meet you here at this time of night and then you tell me this?" "Yeah?" Tenten was about to leap with joy until she did something that she wouldn't have done without thinking through first. It was a reflex but she did it. She had Neji in an embrace "I like you too. I like you a lot." _

_Under the moonlit stream and under the stars, a new bond was made from teammate to a couple. _

Tenten had just finished her weapon training for the morning. Next would be one her Taijutsu but she needed to get properly dressed for the day. She had blown off enough steam on the tree behind her house but she was still made. The tree which was almost one hundred feet away didn't resemble a tree anymore. It looked like someone went crazy with an ax and cut off every limb and in the middle were several types of throwing weapon available. "Why did you do it?"

He stood over a beaten Kabuto who had multiple lacerates over his body. In the places that weren't bleeding, he had suffered from some burns, nothing bad, but it was enough to slow him down. "You have become something fierce now haven't you. You seem so sure of yourself." "That will be enough today. You seem to have grown quite strong, Sasuke. Kabuto, go get yourself treated and get some rest. I'm going to need your help later."

With that said, Kabuto started to limp toward his quarters where he kept his equipment. Never in his life, has he fought so hard. Never in his life, has he been beaten so badly. A year ago, he would've stood a chance but now, it wasn't something that could be done now. Orochimaru, you have created a dangerous container. I hope you know what you are doing

In a year, Sasuke has surpassed Kabuto and after two and a half years, he's at Orochimaru's level. What is running through the mind of someone who is only after revenge. He told Naruto that even if he sold his soul to the devil, he would kill his brother. After that, what would happen?

Thoughts like this usually ran though his head. He knew better than to let his mind wander or to even let his guard down. Would Orochimaru really help him kill his brother or would he be betrayed first? It seemed very likely that he would be betrayed so how would be betray him first? It's true that Orochimaru had taught him a lot of new jutsus but it seemed as though it was coming to a close. What would he do after he killed his brother? What would he do if he killed Orochimaru? In all honestly, he wished that he could've brought someone from home with him. The offer did stand at the moment. If only, he'd brought Sakura with him.

He wouldn't feel so lonely all the time and he might've made some better choices. Then again, he is with Orochimaru. He would've killed her if she didn't prove useful. The only reason he's still alive is because Orochimaru wants him alive. The day will come, when he will strike him down. Orochimaru will be no more and his brother will follow him to hell. Even if that mean, Sasuke has to go with him. Just once more, just one more time, he would like to see Sakura. One time, even if it were for a second, that would be enough.

Sakura was retrieving that paper work that Tsunade had requested. She was about to enter the room when she heard her talk about the two strangers who were coming to Konoha. Apparently from what she heard. ANBU had attempted to engage them but they were beaten. It had been an accident but from what she could hear, their skill had rivaled Tsunade at full power.

It was then that she decided to enter. "Good Morning, Tsunade Sensei." "Morning Sakura, from what you heard, can you tell me at least a little information we might have missed." Sakura was shocked, she almost didn't know what Tsunade was talking about. "I know you were eavesdropping on our conversation." How did she know? "From what I heard, it doesn't seem like they're going to attack us. They had a chance to take out two members of the ANBU but they only knocked them unconscious, so I would guess that they don't want any trouble." "Is that all?" "Yes, Tsunade Sensei." "Sakura?" "Yes?" Here is comes. "Don't eavesdrop on my conversations from now on. It's not very ladylike." "Yes, Tsunade Sensei"

Sakura wasn't paying much attention to what Tsunade was saying but it was the same thing, like last time. She tried to listen in on many of Tsunade's conversations hoping that it would bring her closer to Sasuke or maybe some information on Naruto. So far, it turned out that there was no sign of either. All she could do was train and get stronger and pray for their return. Sasuke, I'll find you no matter what. This is my promise to you from my heart. Naruto, hurry and come back so we can bring Sasuke back.

They had finally reached the gates of Konoha and it was still the early evening. They proceeded to ditch their black cloaks, letting everyone know who they were now. It was as though the sun was rising again as hope rose once again. He had returned from two and a half years of training. Soon he would be back in his own bed trying to find a way to find his lost companion.

**Sorry for the long long wait. I know, I have been MIA for a long time. My initial excuse was the fact that I am in Thialand.Yet, I get internet connection and I have plenty of time. So I have no real excuse. I only have apologies at this point. I will finish this story no matter what though. My goal for this story is to be 100,000 words long!! lol. Comment to help my creative process!!! please!! for every comment, I will type faster because Itachi made me!!**


	9. Grasping the Heart

Grasping the Heart

The day was ending and they were told to act as though they didn't know what was going on. It was something to know about something exciting but it was another to just stand guard. Basically, they were to be the decoys that would determine if the two strangers were a threat or not.

The sun was starting to set which started to color the night sky with orange and purple. There were only a few clouds but it made the setting sun seem even more magical. In the distant, the two figures were coming closer. There were no distinguishing features that gave a hint as to what they looked like. They were like phantoms because they didn't release anything that even made them real. It was as though they were an illusion. It wasn't impossible but it was also very unlikely. To create an image of two powerful fighters in front of many experienced eyes wasn't something easily done. Even if that were so, they were seen approaching Konoha four days ago.

Scouts were sent to observe but they couldn't sense anything from them. Eventually, the ANBU were on their tail, trying to figure out if they were enemy or ally. It was difficult to determine, especially with their last action. They weren't attacked directly but they were beaten nonetheless. With the sun setting the two figures continued to walk toward them, their breathing had started to grow shallow with anticipation.

If a fight were to ensue, they wanted to be ready. Already they were closer, it had not taken long but they stopped in front of the two guards. Only ten feet of ground between them. If a fight were to happen, it would happen now. All breathing had stopped and all eyes were on the two figures in black cloaks. Slowly, on of them raised his hand. An ANBU in the distant, held onto his kunai ready to strike. It was as though time had slowed but their bodies were still in real time. Sweat rolled down his cheek and he slowly closed his eyes to prepare for the next move.

No one had made a move since they were in sight. It wasn't that they wanted to attack right now. They could be anyone but who were they? The fear of not knowing who they were was the main problem. They had demonstrated how strong they were but they had also shown that they weren't there to fight. The captain hadn't given an order and the only thing that could be heard was their footsteps.

It didn't seem real at all. They masked their chakra to the point that made it nonexistent. Their footsteps hardly made any sounds too. What worried them also was the fact that they knew where they were hiding. They had proven that by the way they had reacted to their earlier attack on them. It was accidental but they still knew where it was coming from.

The unknown about these two was starting to escalate their fear. Suddenly, the captain raised his hand as to tell everyone to stop what they were doing. Stop thinking, talking and to not fear what was about to happen. Death? No, it wasn't the fear of death because it was common among all ninja. For everyone at Konoha, it was the fear of failing everyone else, the fear of failing all those who you cared for. With his hand raised, the two figures had stopped short in front of the gate.

The two guards left there to greet them were doing a good job. It was duty before anything else. Right now, their duty was to act as natural as possible to avoid suspicion. Were they enemy or friend? One of them started to raise his hand. It didn't seem like an attack because he moved his hand from his side to the center of his cloak. He started to unbutton it, one at a time. Slowly, you could start to see what he was wearing underneath but it wasn't very visible at the moment. Next, he start to take off the hood. Slowly, you could see strands of his hair which shone brightly in the dying light. Could it be?

Naruto had stopped at the front gate. "**What's the matter brat?" **"We're finally here. Right here, we left. Has it really been two and a half years?" **"Yeah, so what of it?" **"It just feels great to be back." All the while, Jiraiya paused right by Naruto. "You feeling ok, Naruto?" With that Naruto looked up and Jiraiya knew that underneath that cloak, he wore his signature smile. "I'm just happy to be back home. Shall we reveal who we are now?" "Why not?They seem to be on the edge anyways."

With one hand, Naruto reached up to his neck and started to unbutton his cloak, one button at a time. The reason he was moving carefully was because of the fact that he didn't want to provoke all the eyes that were watching him. He didn't need to give them a reason to attack so he figured, why not take his time. He waited two years for this, what's another ten minutes. After he got the buttons, he slowly took off his hood.

Although the sun was setting, he could still see Konoha. It looked like it had not changed since they left. The whole time that Naruto was dazing out, the two guards sent to meet them continued to stare at them. They couldn't believe that it was actually Jiraiya and Naruto. "I think you gave these two a heart attack Naruto." Naruto had heard him but he then started to walk in all the while, trying to soak in his environment. Two and a half years later, it was as though time had stopped here.

It was almost time and Shino was waiting nervously at the spot he had picked. "8pm...8pm...I did say eight, right?" he said quietly to himself. His mind then started to race with many questions that would have never risen if he'd only relax a bit. I said eight.

What do I do when she gets here? Did I plan everything out just right? I hope she likes the restaurant I picked. What if she doesn't? Is my hair ok? Did I brush my teeth? Did I remember to bring money? Shino then started to feel around in his pockets. It was at that moment that he realized that he forgot to bring money. "Dammit!" he said to himself. What do I do? What do I do!? Shino then started to pace back and forth trying to figure out what he should do.

He was dressed up for the occasion. He wore a collar shirt with black pants and his usual sunglasses. It was quite a change from his jacket and pants. This was a special occasion that didn't have anything to do with being a ninja yet it was something that couldn't be avoided either. It was bound to happen. They were on the same team and they had all gotten closer throughout the years. He just happened to ask her out first before Kiba had a chance too. Then again, Kiba didn't really show any interest now.

"_Kiba?" "Yeah, what is it Shino?" "...Nothing" "Hey, why do you have to do that everytime? Just say what you want to say and I'll see if I can help out in anyway I can. That's what teammates are for." "What do you think of Hinata?" "What kind of question is that? "Just answer the question." "Well I think that she's a great teammate. Although she is kind of shy but she's improved these past few years. I would say that she is a great friend too. What do you think?" "I don't know." "What!? You can just ask me a question and answer me with I Don't Know!" "Thanks Kiba." "What? Ok, your welcome Shino."_

It was his decision and it was just something in his head that told him to do it. At first, he thought it might be the insects but that was before he started to think rationally again. It was quite a sight, seeing Shino trying to talk the insects to stop having feelings for his teammate. Yet that wasn't the case. He was just nervous and then he remembered that he had no money. I have to tell Hinata to wait up for me when she arrives. I don't want to tell her that I forgot the money. Maybe if I tell her that I forgot to feed the...fish? Yeah, that's what I'll tell her. I won't be gone long anyway. At that point Shino was calm once again. For one second, Shino was back to himself but that was about to change as his date was right behind him after he calmed down.

She was running down the streets of Konoha with tears in her eyes. She didn't know where she was going nor did she care. All she wanted at the moment was for the pain to go away. It was a hard decision but she made it. It was as though he planned it but then again, she could be just blaming him. It was hard to accept but he was in shock when she told him that she wanted to see other people. "Bakka!" She kept running and eventually found herself at a clearing. "This is..." Ino then fell to her knees and let every tear she had, stain the earth.

"_Why won't you listen to me?" No answer from the figure that laid on the grass in the training ground. "What is your problem. I told you that if we had gone with my plan, it might've worked!" Still no answer, he just seemed to sigh and space out. "Say something! You're starting to drive me insane!" _

_Still, he laid there, not a sound escaped him. He just seemed to lay there as if he had no problems in the world. Something was wrong. He's never stayed like that for a long time. If someone would yell at him, he'd still say something. Troublesome was his favorite but not this time. I didn't hit her till then. Was there something bothering Shikamaru that it caused him to act differently? Whatever it was, it was starting to scare her. _

_"Hey, are you alright?" she softly said to him. She then proceeded to walk toward him. She now stood over him, he had his eyes closed. It was like he was having a battle with himself. He couldn't decide what to say. He knew what he wanted to say but he needed to organize his thoughts. He didn't want to rush it but it seemed like this was the only option. Troublesome, he kept repeating to himself. It's not worth it. Yes it is, you just can't appreciate it. Appreciate what? Appreciate the fact that you don't have to isolate yourself anymore. It was decided in a second. _

_When he opened his eyes, he hadn't realized that Ino was laying next to him looking at him. She was no longer mad but her eyes showed that she was now worried. It was his fault that they failed their mission but it was either the mission or losing a comrade. You can't have both and expect to be happy. You need to decide, the duties you were assigned or the duties that you follow. Chouji was an important friend to him but that didn't mean that he didn't care about Ino. She was his teammate and friend first and foremost. So what was wrong with having feelings for her that he couldn't quite understand. Even when his father would talk to him about it, he still wouldn't quite catch it. It was something that had to be experienced before it could be analyzed. Even if that were the case, there would be no guarantee that he would still be able to understand why he felt that way. So it was decided for him. "Ino?"_

_She had just laid there next to him. It didn't seem strange until he said her name. He had startled her but the way he looked now was different in a way that she couldn't explain. "Yeah?" He actually was going to tell her something besides an excuse? It must be important. "It was my fault that the mission failed." He was admitting that it was his fault? Something didn't seem right but he was still talking. _

_"As the leader of our group, I had the choice of completing the mission which is a priority but I didn't do that. Do you want to know why?" Where was he going with these questions? At first it seemed like an apology, but now it was sounding more like an explanation. "Why?" "If we had continued on with the mission, you might've gotten hurt. Possibly killed." "What?" What did he just say? I could've died? How? When? Where? What? "I had already evaluated their strength from before. In a way, I knew how they would react. I knew what they were going to do next. That's why I ordered a retreat." _

_Was he saying that it was my fault, Ino thought to herself. Her first instinct was to yell at him and slap him around for thinking of her as weak. She could take care of herself, she didn't need someone to baby sit her but why? Why was he now explaining this all to her? So the question she asked wasn't going to be out of rage, she wanted to know more._

_ "You're probably mad at me for thinking of you as weak, right? Ino?" "That's just the tip of the iceberg. So why didn't you say anything earlier?" "I didn't want to lose anyone on our team. Simple, reason right?" "You said it was me that you were worried about right?" "Especially you. Don't get mad, it's not that your weak. It's that..." Ino started to get impatient. Trying to get information was easy sometimes and other times, it was very...very...troublesome. Shoot, she thought to herself, she used his word. He was really starting to rub off of her. Before she let her mind wander any further, her next question. _

_"What is it?" "I wouldn't want to lose you." What did he mean by that? What was he implying. It had made her blush a little. Did he just open up to her? It was strange and what she felt next was something between neurotic and joy. She felt his hand grab hers. It wasn't a dream and all questions in her mind ceased to be. So they continued to lay there until the sun had settled over the mountains._

That was only a year ago but why did she end up here of all places. What a sad way to end things. To be in grief at the only place that produced happiness. So she stayed there until the sun had set over those same mountains under the same starry sky.

Hinata Hyuuga, the heiress to the main branch of the family. She had started out as a disappointment due to her lack in leadership. It made her look even worse that her sister, who wasn't even a full fledged ninja was stronger than her. Yet after an event, she had chosen to become stronger.

_Hinata had been accepted to the ninja academy and she was standing by her mother the entire time. From the day she was born, she was a quiet baby and she had a shy side. No one knew why she was shy but they all expected her to grow out of it. She also was by her mother's side all the time. Even through training, her mother would oversee her training. For her, it wasn't about her skills as a ninja, her mother wanted her to perfect her skills as a lady also. Although she was shy, she would always manage to say what she wanted to say but that wasn't until a little later when her mother was sent off on a mission. She was on a recon mission but somewhere, something went wrong. The team was discovered and she was never found. There has been no word nor was there a body left. _

_After that day, a memorial service was held for her. She was put as MIA but Hinata had always hoped that she would be able to see her mother again. After that day, Hinata would always visit her mother's memorial to pay respects. Sometimes she went there to cry. It was as though the sun had finally ceased to shine. _

_She was walking back from the memorial that she had for her mother. She was slowly making her way back toward her father who was close by in the market. It was at that moment that she tripped. She wasn't paying attention and she had no time to react, so she closed her eyes and waited for the pain to hit here. After a while, she realized that she didn't feel anything, she also knew that she wasn't lying on the ground. What happened? She felt around with her eyes still closed still afraid of falling. There was someone in front of her, it was warm and it felt soft yet very solid. It was strange, there was something comfortable about it, it was as though it was releasing a gentle wave of energy but at the same time, it was strong and fierce. She finally had the courage to open her eyes, inch by inch. She was looking up to see a white shirt with an orange swirl on it. Blue eyes that radiated with kindness and hair that shone like the sun. After that, he had the biggest grin on his face too. _

"_Are you alright?" She stood there still looking into his face still lost in her own thoughts. "Hello?" She was still lost in his eyes but she gradually began to come back to reality. "Are you ok now?" Hinata now stood up and looked at him, "I'm ok now, thank you." She said it so fast but he caught every word. "It's ok." He continued to smile at her which made her feel a little more at ease. It was as though he took all the trouble from her heart and lightened the load of it all. Who was he? Hadn't she seen him before? "Hinata!" Her father had called out from the distance. "Hinata!" Again, this time it seemed to be a cry of despair. "Thank you again for helping me!" "Where are you going?" He seemed very curious which made her smile a little. "I have to go, my father is calling me." She waved and turned to see her father waiting for her. He seemed to be a nice boy, maybe should would see him again._

That happened so long ago. She did get to see him again but she never got any real chances to talk with him. After a while, she started to like him more and more. There was something about him that made her smile and feel good about herself. She couldn't tell what it was but it felt right. Hinata was walking down the street to find the restaurant that Shino had told her to meet him at. She didn't know how the events would unfold but maybe this was the right thing to do. She couldn't have waited forever. Could she? How did she feel about Shino? He was a teammate but she never considered him anything more than a friend. She could've denied him but she wasn't going to do that to him. Naruto wasn't coming back. He wasn't coming back today, so why was she worried? What was Naruto to her? He was a great friend but she held him in a high place in her heart. Please come back soon.

There was the place that she was looking for. Shino was pacing back and forth very nervously. This brought her back to reality. She was here for a date with Shino so that's what she was going to do. Nothing was going to change her mind about this. She came up behind him and he still hadn't noticed her present. "I'm here." He slowly turned around and wore an expression that was priceless. It was as though he was very nervous and frightened at the same time. "Hinata! Umm...I forgot something at home, so could you please wait a little longer?" He had said that so fast that it took her a while to register what it was he was asking. "Sure, no problem. I'll just wait her" "Thank you, I won't be long! I promise." With that he started to run toward his house. "I promise..." Those words had so much meaning to her. Where are you now Naruto? She sat down on the bench outside the restaurant but in the distance, someone was walking toward her.

To bE cOnTiNuEd...

Once again, sorry for the delay. I was close to finishing but I paused because now I'm in Vietnam. lol. Comments are welcomed!

For every comment Orochimaru will threaten to take over my body. "creepy!"


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